For Better Or For Worse
by mtd4417
Summary: Tony and Ziva are married and starting a family. When tragedy strikes, can their friends help them overcome life's obstacles and save their marriage? Or will their entire world fall apart?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello :) So I'm starting my second NCIS fanfic, and I'd like to thank everyone who read/reviewed my first one. I hope this one goes over even better than my first! Hope you all like the first chapter, please enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Ziva rolled over in bed and groggily opened her eyes. She blinked hard until her vision focused on the red numbers of her alarm clock. 4:32am. She sighed and rolled onto her back wondering if it was worth going back to sleep for another hour. Her eyes ached from being tired, and she tried to keep them open anyway. Ziva loved her job, but there hadn't been many cases lately, so work seemed rather slow at the NCIS headquarters. The only enjoyment she had recently came from her coworkers. She was wondering when that too would no longer be enough to suffice and was secretly hoping for a case to develop soon.

Ziva sighed and wiped her eyes with both of her hands, trying to completely awaken herself. She turned her head to look at the man lying next to her. Ziva and Tony DiNozzo had finally gotten married six months previously. Ever since they had met, there had been obvious tension between them, and a year ago, they had finally started dating exclusively. Ziva had never been happier than she was when she was with Tony, and she was ecstatic that they had finally taken their relationship to the next step and vowed to always love each other, through thick and thin, for better or for worse. As Ziva lied in bed, she watched her husband sleep and smiled to herself, thinking of the many happy years to come.

Suddenly, Ziva was startled as she felt her stomach drop. She grabbed her stomach with both hands and her mouth became very dry. She could feel her forehead breaking out in a sudden sweat and knew she was going to be sick. Careful not to wake Tony, Ziva climbed out of bed and hurried out of their bedroom to the bathroom down the hall. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she emptied her insides into the toilet. When she felt as though there was nothing left inside her to come up, she flushed the toilet and reached for a washcloth. Ziva got the cloth wet with cold water, her hands violently shaking as she did so, and wiped her face clean. Her sweating had stopped and she didn't feel nauseous anymore for the time being. Quickly, she brushed her teeth and went back to bed, reasoning with herself that she must have eaten something bad the night before. She looked at the clock which then read 4:56 and closed her eyes, allowing herself another half hour of sleep.

A little after 5:30, Ziva heard Tony climb out of bed and prepare for his shower. Ziva continued to lay in bed with her eyes closed, not wanting to move for the rest of the day. About ten minutes later, Tony reentered the room, freshly showered and cleanly shaven. Ziva could smell his cleanliness as he walked closer to her. Tony bent forward and placed a kiss on Ziva's forehead.

"It's time to get up, babe," he said softly. Ziva smiled and opened her eyes to face her husband.

"What if I do not want to," Ziva responded and grabbed ahold of Tony's arms, pulling him onto the bed on top of her. She kissed him passionately.

"Well," Tony said when they broke away. "I guess we do have a little time." He smiled at Ziva seductively and began kissing her again. Ziva ran her hands over Tony's shoulders and down his back while Tony began to pull Ziva's shirt up. Suddenly, Ziva felt another pang in her stomach and pulled abruptly away from Tony.

"Are you okay, Ziv?" Tony asked her concerned.

"Yeah," she replied, trying not to worry him. She gently pushed him off of her and stood from the bed. "I think we should just get ready for work." Ziva then exited the room and went to the kitchen for some water and saltine crackers, hoping she could avoid getting sick again. Tony came up behind her in the kitchen and put his arms lovingly around her waist.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. Ziva smiled at his concern and turned in his arms to face him.

"Yes," she replied. "I just think that I may have eaten something bad last night. That's all. Now, let's get ready for work." She kissed Tony on the cheek and walked back to the bedroom to prepare herself for work.

Later that morning, Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, and McGee were sitting at their desks at the NCIS headquarters. They were each hoping for the same thing: a case. It was rare to go so long without one. As the hours passed, however, they came to terms with the fact that they would see no action for yet another day. That evening, they bid their 'good nights' and left for their homes.

"I really hope that we get a new case soon," Ziva said as she and Tony entered their apartment.

"Me too," Tony agreed. "I'm getting tired of the same thing every day." He walked into the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Hmm," Ziva sighed, thinking. Truthfully, she didn't feel like eating anything at all. She wasn't hungry, and nothing sounded good to her. "I'm not really in the mood for dinner. I'm really tired, so I'm just going to go to bed early."

"It's only nine o'clock," Tony observed, walking back into the living room.

"I think that bad food is still affecting me," Ziva explained. "I'm just going to try and sleep it off."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tony asked. "You don't want any medicine or anything? Or to go to a doctor?" Ziva smiled again at his concern and walked over to him, putting her arms around his waist and squeezing him in a very loving hug.

"No, I'm fine," she replied, her head on his chest. "You don't need to worry so much."

"I'll always worry about you," Tony told her. Ziva looked up at him.

"I know," she said. "But really I am fine. I'm just going to go to bed."

"Okay," Tony said. "Tell me if you feel worse or need anything."

"I will," Ziva promised. "Good night. I love you."

"Good night. I love you too," Tony said and gave her a kiss. Ziva walked past him and into their bedroom, leaving Tony still worrying about her health.

The next morning, Ziva woke up at 4:45 and rushed to the bathroom to get sick again. She wiped her face and brushed her teeth before going back to her bedroom and deciding to start getting ready early, despite her strong desire to crawl back into bed and never leave it. When Tony woke up at 5:30 and asked her why she was already awake, she lied and said she woke up wide awake and couldn't fall back asleep. As Tony was getting ready, Ziva was hoping that this would be the last day she woke up to getting sick.

An hour after the team arrived at work, Gibbs received a phone call about a case. Finally, they were on their way to a crime scene. When they arrived at the house where the victim's body was found, the team began their investigation as usual. However, as Ziva squatted down next to the body, she was overwhelmed by the smell of it. She quickly stood back up and turned away, causing looks of concern from Gibbs, Tony, and McGee.

"You okay, Ziva?" Gibbs asked. Ziva nodded.

"Yeah, uh, this just smells worse than usual," she lied lamely and cringed inside at how pathetic that response had sounded. Gibbs looked at her questioningly but didn't push it any father.

"Why don't you go look around in the kitchen," he instructed. Ziva nodded and left the room. Tony followed her into the kitchen.

"What just happened back there?" he asked. Ziva was at a loss for words for a moment.

"I do not know," she replied honestly. "I just could not handle the smell."

"Ziva, you've been around many worse things," Tony pointed out. "It's not like you to be affected by a smell like that."

"Well," Ziva sighed, "I think that food is still affecting me. Maybe it's worse than I thought."

"You think you could have food poisoning or something?" Tony asked, alarmed. "Are you throwing up? Do you have a fever?"

"Tony, stop worrying so much," Ziva said sternly. "It will go away. Now can we please focus on the case?" She turned away from him and hoped inside that she was right and this sickness would go away just as suddenly as it had appeared.

The team spent the rest of the day working on the case, and Tony kept a close eye on Ziva, watching for any signs of her sickness worsening. When they got home that night, Tony asked Ziva if she wanted to go out to dinner so they could talk and spend time together. She turned him down, saying she was just too tired and still didn't feel like eating. Tony was beginning to grow very concerned. At this point, Ziva was refusing dinner, going to bed almost as soon as they returned from work, turning him down for sex, and barely even kissing him. Tony knew something was up and Ziva wasn't telling him, he just didn't know what.

The next morning, Ziva woke up early and threw up again. While getting ready for work, Tony had given up on asking Ziva questions, knowing what he would get in response. When they arrived at work, Tony went down to Abby's lab to see how she was doing on the evidence she had received.

"Hey Abbs," Tony said as he entered the lab and was greeted by rock music.

"Hey Tony!" Abby responded very cheerfully. "I ran the tests on the stuff you gave me..." Abby continued to talk, but Tony had tuned her out. He could hear Abby's voice in the background of his mind, but he was focused on Ziva's recent behavior instead.

"Tony!" Abby hollered, bringing him back to reality.

"What?" he said as he jumped, finally realizing where he was again.

"Is everything okay?" Abby asked, concerned. Tony sighed and shook his head.

"It's Ziva," he replied.

"Oh no," Abby groaned, expecting the worst. "You've just been married for six months! You're great together!"

"Huh, what?" Tony asked. "No, it's how she's been acting lately."

"What do you mean?" Abby asked, very interested.

"She's been really...weird...lately," Tony explained lamely. Abby looked irritated at him.

"If you want my help, you'll have to give me more than that," she said. "What is it? Mood swings? Sex life change?"

"Sex life?" Tony laughed. "Hell I'm lucky to even get a kiss from her anymore."

"Oh, Tony, that's not good," Abby told him, growing very concerned for her friends' marriage.

"I know," he agreed. "She thinks she ate something bad the other day. She said she felt sick to her stomach the past couple days, and she's been really tired lately. But she swears everything is okay and it was just spoiled food or something."

"Hmm. Nausea, exhaustion, and no sex," Abby thought out loud. "Has she been any different at work or just around you?"

"Not really at work," Tony replied. "I mean, there was just yesterday at a crime scene, Ziva couldn't handle the smell of the dead body. It really wasn't all that bad yet, and I know she's been around a lot worse."

"Hmm," Abby pondered for a moment. Then, she came to a realization and smiled happily at Tony.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Abby replied. "Just nothing. But I have a feeling you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Abby smiled knowingly and turned away from Tony. "Sorry, but I really have to get back to work now." Confused, Tony left her lab.

That night at home, Ziva simply ate saltine crackers instead of dinner. Tony remained concerned about his wife, but she insisted that nothing was wrong and went to bed early again. Tony did not sleep well that night because he was too concerned about Ziva and her health. At around 4:30, he felt Ziva get out of bed and leave the room. Tony laid in bed and listened for a moment until he heard what sounded like someone vomiting in the distance. He got out of bed and went down the hall to the bathroom to hear Ziva getting sick inside. He opened the door and approached her, gently pulling her hair back. When Ziva had finished and cleaned herself up, she and Tony went back to their room and sat on the bed to talk.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked her seriously. Ziva sighed.

"I do feel better now that I have gotten sick," Ziva responded.

"How long have you been getting sick?" Tony asked. Ziva looked down, knowing that she had to be truthful with her husband, and ashamed that she had been keeping this secret from him.

"Every morning for the past four days," she replied truthfully. Tony's eyes widened at her answer.

"You've been sick like this for four days and didn't tell me?" he asked, a mixture of hurt and concern in his voice and eyes. Ziva hurt for making him feel bad.

"I did not want to worry you," she explained.

"Ziva, I was already worried," Tony replied. "You have to go to a doctor." Ziva shook her head.

"No," she said. "This is the fourth day. It has got to be almost over."

"Ziva, come on. I care about you. I want you to be healthy. If you're sick you need to get it checked out," Tony argued.

"No," Ziva insisted. "Really, I'll be fine. I can still function just fine. I do not need to see a doctor."

"Fine," Tony gave in, knowing he wouldn't win. "But seriously, Ziva, if you keep feeling sick like this, I want you to tell me. No more hiding things."

"Okay," Ziva agreed. "I promise."

"Good," Tony said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ziva replied. "Now let's get ready for work."

At work, Abby texted Ziva asking her to go down to Abby's lab. When Ziva arrived at the lab, she was greeted by a very smiling Abby.

"Hi Abby," Ziva said, rather confused by Abby's expression.

"Well, hello, Ziva," Abby replied.

"What's going on with you?" Ziva asked.

"What's going on with _you_?" Abby returned the question, the big smile still on her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Tony talked to you, didn't he?" Ziva asked as she rolled her eyes.

"He's just concerned," Abby replied. "It's normal."

"I'm fine, Abby," Ziva insisted.

"Really?" Abby pressured. "Because Tony told me that you've been feeling nauseous and tired, couldn't handle the smell at a crime scene, and will barely kiss him anymore." Abby smiled again, seeming pleased with herself. Ziva's mouth dropped open and she felt slightly embarrassed that Tony had told Abby such personal things about Ziva.

"Well, no offense, but it really wasn't Tony's place to-"

"Ziva I think you're pregnant!" Abby blurted out excitedly.

"P-pregnant?" Ziva repeated, shocked by the words that the scientist had uttered. Abby nodded.

"Yep," Abby replied. "I believe you are with child."

"That's crazy," Ziva objected.

"Have you and Tony ever had sex?" Abby asked.

"That is a dumb question," Ziva retorted. Abby smiled.

"Was any of it unprotected?" she continued. Ziva's mouth opened and she was lost for words again.

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "But we're married so-"

"I never said it was bad," Abby defended herself to clarify. "But you're definitely pregnant. In fact, I think it's fantastic."

"Abby I, I can't be pregnant," Ziva said, still shocked by the proposition.

"When's the last time you've had your period?" Abby asked.

"Oh that is easy," Ziva said. "Last..." her voice trailed off as she realized that she hadn't had her period the previous month. She had been too busy with work and her new marriage to pay it much attention though.

"Exactly," Abby smiled, looking more and more pleased.

"Oh, Abby," Ziva said. "How can I find out without Tony knowing?"

"Don't worry. I've got you covered," Abby replied as she walked over to a drawer. "You see, after Tony talked to me, I suspected you were pregnant. I also suspected you'd want to know for sure before getting Tony all anxious about it, so I went out and bought you a pregnancy test." Abby pulled out a box and held it out to Ziva.

"I don't know what to say," Ziva said, taking the box from her friend.

"Don't say anything," Abby replied. "You know where the bathroom is." With a smile and a wink, Abby sent Ziva to the bathroom to take the first test. Abby was hoping that she was correct and that they would be expecting a little DiNozzo soon. Shortly afterward, Ziva came out of the bathroom.

"The directions said to wait ten minutes," Ziva said.

"I'll bet these will be the longest ten minutes of your life," Abby smiled. Ziva looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "A minute is a minute. No minute is longer than any other."

"What?" Abby asked then quickly laughed. "No, it's a figure of speech. It means since you're anticipating something, these ten minutes are going to _seem_ like a lot longer. It will seem almost neverending."

"What if I am pregnant?" Ziva wondered out loud, ignoring Abby's explanation.

"Well, then I guess you'll have a baby," Abby replied.

"This soon?" Ziva continued. "I don't even know if Tony and I are ready for a baby." Abby shrugged.

"I'm sure everything will work out just fine," Abby said reassuringly. "You and Tony have an awesome relationship and will be great parents when the time comes; whether that time is now or years from now."

"Thank you, Abby," Ziva smiled. "That means a lot." A few minutes later, it was time for Ziva to read the results of the pregnancy test. She went into the bathroom and compared what she saw on the test to the key on the box.

"Well?" Abby asked excitedly. Ziva's eyes widened as she looked up at Abby.

"Oh...my...goodness," Ziva said in disbelief.

While Ziva was downstairs, Tony had been thinking about her nonstop. He knew something was up, and talking to Abby had not helped him at all. Ziva was his wife and he was determined to uncover the truth of what was wrong with her. That night, he and Ziva walked into their apartment, and to Tony's surprise, Ziva asked him to sit with her on the couch in the living room, saying she wanted to talk.

"Look Tony," Ziva began when they were seated on the couch. "I know that I have been acting strangely lately."

"Strangely?" Tony repeated. "You haven't been yourself nearly at all."

"I know," Ziva agreed. "But there is an explanation for it."

"Ziva don't try the food poisoning excuse with me again," Tony said as he rolled his eyes. "It's got to be something else."

"I completely agree," Ziva said, trying to hold back her smile.

"And I know you're a grown woman, but I still think you should go to the doctor," Tony continued.

"I absolutely intend to," Ziva replied. Tony was slightly taken aback.

"You do?" he asked. Ziva nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "And I would like it if you would come with me."

"Well, yeah, of course I will," Tony answered, extremely confused. "Look, as happy as I am that you're doing this, why the sudden change of heart?" Ziva's mouth stretched into a huge smile that she could no longer hold back. She looked Tony straight in the eyes and took a deep breath before happily answering his question.

"Tony, I'm pregnant."

0-0-0

**A/N: **Well, there's chapter one :) I hope everyone liked it. Please remember to review! Also, it will get more mature as it goes on, so the rating may change from T to M in future chapters. Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter. Please review and tell me what you thought of it. I look forward to writing the rest of this story :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter :) I appreciate it and hope you all like this one!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony had happily accepted the fact that Ziva was pregnant. It was a reasonable explanation for why she had been acting as strangely as she had been. Shortly after telling Tony the news, Ziva had scheduled a doctor appointment, and the doctor had confirmed the pregnancy. Ziva was eight weeks pregnant and her expectant due date was October 14th. They had only seven months left to prepare and were very excited about bringing a new life into the world. At first, Tony and Ziva had their worries about telling Gibbs the news, even though they were married, but when they broke the news to him, Gibbs revealed that he had known before either of them.

"How were you so sure?" Ziva had asked him. Gibbs had smiled knowingly at her.

"You confirmed it for me when you couldn't handle the crime scene," he had replied.

Gibbs had accepted it and even said he was happy for the two of them. Tony and Ziva were relieved to have his blessing. After telling Gibbs, they also told McGee and Ducky. Everyone knew, and everyone shared in the happiness. Although, because of the danger of being an agent, and the fact that Ziva could hardly handle being at crime scenes anymore, Gibbs had made the decision that during her pregnancy, Ziva was not to work on cases outside of NCIS headquarters. She couldn't visit the scenes and couldn't go to houses or places of business to investigate. It may have been a bit overprotected, but Ziva knew that Gibbs was looking out for her and her unborn child, and she appreciated it.

Over the next couple of weeks, Ziva's morning sickness had continued. She woke up every morning around 4:30, give or take fifteen minutes, and rushed to the bathroom to be sick. Afterward, she always ate saltine crackers to calm her stomach. Tony had grown used to getting up with his wife and following her to the bathroom to hold her hair and rub her back. It was not a pleasant experience for either of them, but they knew in October, all the sickness and sacrifices would be worth it to hold their child.

One morning, shortly after Tony and Ziva arrived at work, Gibbs ordered McGee and Tony to accompany him in bringing in suspects for questioning. When the men left, Ziva retreated down to Abby's lab for some company until they returned with their suspects. Luckily, Abby wasn't too busy because she had run all the tests that she could and was waiting on the results to come back.

"Good morning, Abby," Ziva greeted upon entering.

"Good morning," Abby replied, turning to face Ziva with a big smile on her face. "Good morning little one," Abby then directed to Ziva's stomach.

"Abby, I am not even showing yet. I'm only ten weeks," Ziva smiled.

"I know," Abby said. "But I'm so excited for you!"

"Thank you," Ziva said. "We are excited too."

"Oh I'll bet," Abby agreed. "This is awesome. You and Tony will be great parents."

"Thank you," Ziva smiled again.

"So, how are you feeling?" Abby asked.

"Well, the morning sickness is still happening every day," Ziva replied. "Other than that, I am just anxious about the next six and a half months."

"Ooh it's going to be so much fun!" Abby squealed. "Do you have names picked out yet?"

"We have not talked about names at all," Ziva replied. "I have only known for a couple weeks. It is still early."

"I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl!" Abby continued, barely acknowledging Ziva's answer. "You are going to find out, right? Or are you wanting to be surprised?"

"I think we're going to find out," Ziva replied. "I want to, and I'm sure Tony will too. The doctor said we can find out when I'm eighteen weeks along, assuming the baby cooperates."

"Ooh, that's only eight weeks away!" Abby exclaimed, nearly bouncing with excitement. "And don't worry, I've already started brainstorming ideas for your baby shower. It's going to be so fun!"

"Wow, thank you," Ziva said. She was very impressed at how much Abby was thinking ahead.

"It's no problem," Abby replied. "I've always wanted to throw a baby shower, and I knew once you and Tony got together, it was only a matter of time."

"Abby!" Ziva exclaimed, almost blushing.

"Sorry, but it's true!" Abby said happily. "Besides, it's good to have babies when you're still young enough to enjoy them."

"Yes, well I don't think we'll have any problem enjoying this baby," Ziva replied.

"Exactly," Abby agreed. Just then, the doors to Abby's lab opened and Tony walked in.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said to Ziva as he walked over and kissed the side of her head.

"We were just talking about you," Abby smiled.

"Uh oh," Tony joked. "Good things, I would hope."

"Very," Abby replied. "We were discussing the baby."

"Abby wants to throw me a baby shower in a few months," Ziva explained. Tony nodded.

"Well that sounds fun," he said. "I'm sure you'll do a great job."

"Thanks, Tony," Abby smiled at him. "I hope to anyway."

"Well hey," Tony turned his attention back to Ziva. "Gibbs wants you back upstairs. Has something he wants you to run."

"Okay," Ziva said and then turned to Abby. "I'll talk to you later. Thanks for everything."

"No problem," Abby replied. "Good luck with the case!" Ziva and Tony walked to the elevator.

"You had to physically come get me to tell me Gibbs wanted me upstairs?" Ziva asked skeptically once inside the elevator, knowing that Tony could have simply texted her.

"No," Tony replied and turned to face her. "I had to physically come get you so I could do this." He gently pressed his lips onto hers, his hands on her hips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, passionately returning the kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that for hours," Tony said when they pulled apart.

"And you say I don't kiss you anymore," Ziva said jokingly. They pulled out of their embrace when they heard the elevator reach their desired floor and exited to return to their day of work.

At home that night, Tony and Ziva were lying in bed. Neither one was asleep, but neither was talking either. They were both pondering different aspects of Ziva's pregnancy and the expectancy of the baby. It had been the main topic on their minds for the past few weeks.

"Tony, do you want to find out the gender of the baby?" Ziva asked him. Tony turned to face her.

"Of course," he replied. "But if you want it to be a surprise, that's fine too. I'm willing to wait. It's whatever you want."

"I want to find out," Ziva replied thoughtfully.

"Good," Tony smiled. "So do I." Ziva nodded.

"Had you given any thought as to who we might ask to be godparents?" Ziva asked after a moment.

"No, not really," Tony replied. "Have you?"

"Well not really until today," Ziva began. "Today, Abby seemed really happy for us. She is so excited we're having this baby. She was asking about names and the gender, and she has already started thinking about my baby shower. You know she'll love this baby almost as much as us."

"You think we should ask Abby to be the godmother?" Tony clarified. Ziva nodded.

"Yes I do," she replied. "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is," Tony replied. "You're right, she is really excited, and I know she'll love the baby. I bet she'd be more than happy to be the godmother."

"Okay," Ziva smiled. "Then it is settled. We can ask her tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Tony said. "Good night, sweetie. Love you." They shared a quick kiss.

"Love you too," Ziva replied. She laid in bed for about another half hour thinking about the baby before she finally fell into a deep sleep.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, there's chapter two :) I hope you all liked it. Please review and tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone for reading/reviewing so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

The next day, Tony was interrogating a suspect while Ziva, McGee, and Gibbs waited in observation. Ziva enjoyed watching Tony interrogate. He was very smooth when he talked and often tricked people into revealing information that they had wanted to keep secret. Ziva also liked how forceful Tony could be in interrogation when necessary; she found it a rather attractive quality of his. As she stood in observation, Ziva could not help but think of how attracted she was to her husband at that moment; her hormones were starting to act up.

"Well, looks like this is going to take a while," Gibbs said, referring to the interrogation. "I'm going to go get some coffee." He excused himself and Ziva and McGee were alone. It was silent for a moment as they were both consumed in their own thoughts; Ziva's were about Tony, and McGee's were about the case at hand. After a moment, McGee looked over at Ziva and realized her mind did not seem to be on the case.

"So, uh, how are you feeling?" McGee asked, jerking Ziva out of her thoughts. She turned to face him and smiled.

"Fine, thanks for asking," Ziva replied.

"It just seemed like your mind was occupied with something," McGee explained. "I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Thank you," Ziva said, not able to hide her smile as she realized what was on her mind when McGee had began speaking. "But really I am fine."

"So... you and Tony pretty excited then?" McGee continued trying to make conversation because he realized he had not talked much to Ziva since she had revealed the pregnancy news.

"Yes we are," Ziva replied. "We cannot wait until the baby is born."

"I'll bet," McGee stated.

"It is driving me crazy not being able to contribute to the cases outside of this building," Ziva said. McGee nodded his understanding.

"I know it's not ideal for you," he agreed. "But you know it's for your own health as well as the baby's."

"Yes I know that," Ziva replied. "But still, once this baby is born, I will be able to contribute again."

"Well not for a while," McGee clarified.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked.

"Well, I mean, there's maternity leave when you aren't at work," McGee replied. "And of course once you do come back, I doubt they'll have you jump right back in to solving murders."

"Why is that?" Ziva asked. "It is our job to solve murders. Surely if I can come back to work, I can actually complete the job?"

"Well... yeah," McGee was at a loss for words and suddenly wished he hadn't brought the topic up. "I guess I just want you to know that I care about your health and the baby's health. I want everything to go well for you and Tony and the baby."

"Well thank you, McGee," Ziva smiled again. "I understand." With that, they turned back to watch Tony finish interrogating the suspect.

Later that day, Ziva and Tony made their way down to Abby's lab again. Upon their entering, Abby looked up to face them with a big smile on her face. It seemed like ever since she had found out about the pregnancy, Abby was more and more happy to see Tony and Ziva.

"Hi guys," she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Just fine, thank you," Ziva replied. "So what are you up to?"

"Oh, just trying to get a match on _anything_," Abby answered, clearly frustrated, as she stared at the evidence laying on the table in front of her. "I swear, science is testing me more and more each case."

"You'll figure it out," Tony assured her.

"You always do," Ziva added.

"Oh I know that," Abby agreed. Tony and Ziva softly chuckled at Abby's statement. She often appeared overconfident, but it was always in the favor of the team; Abby was an excellent forensic scientist after all. "I just want to have more time to focus on your baby shower. I only have a few months, after all."

"That is actually what we came down to talk to you about," Ziva said.

"The shower?" Abby asked.

"No," Tony replied. "Just the baby."

"See, we noticed how excited you are about the baby, and we know how much you are going to love it when it is born. We think you will be great with it. And we really trust you and would like to ask you to be our baby's godmother," Ziva explained. As the words left Ziva's mouth, a huge overjoyed smile overtook Abby's face and she squealed in delight.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Absolutely! Oh, this is awesome, and I am honored. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Ziva replied. They talked for a few more minutes, Abby still extremely excited, before Tony and Ziva left her lab to let her get back to work.

"Well, she seemed happy," Tony said calmly as they entered the elevator.

"We knew she would be," Ziva replied. Tony nodded his head.

"I think you made the right decision, asking Abby to be the godmother I mean," he said.

"Well thanks. I do that once in a while. I married you, didn't I?" Ziva smiled up at him and Tony kissed her forehead. The elevator door opened and Tony and Ziva went back to work, happy with how her pregnancy was progressing and hoping everything would remain just as smooth.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I know this was kind of a short chapter, but it gets longer, I promise. I do hope you enjoyed it though. Please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks to those who have been reading and reviewing :) I hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

The next several days seemed to fly by for the team. Their work and personal lives were buzzing. The case they had been working on had been solved, and the very next day they were faced with a new case which they solved in a matter of days. Aside from the professional aspect of their lives, Tony and Ziva were occupying themselves by preparing for their baby. They had been discussing matters such as how to design the nursery and had even spoke briefly of names, although they had not decided on anything. At this point, Ziva was twelve weeks pregnant and had a small but noticeable baby bump as a stomach.

It was their day off, so Tony and Ziva had slept in that morning. Tony woke up before his wife but remained in bed next to her. He looked at her as she slept and admired her beauty. Ziva had developed the pregnant woman glow. Tony had always viewed her as beautiful, but she had become even more beautiful over the past several weeks. He gently brushed his hand against Ziva's olive colored cheek and ran his fingers through her soft hair. Ziva stirred a bit and began to open her eyes.

"Good morning," Tony smiled at her.

"Good morning," Ziva responded tiredly. She rolled from her side onto her back and stretched, still not opening her eyes completely.

"Still tired?" Tony asked.

"Mhm," Ziva sighed.

"I can wake you up," Tony said softly and began placing butterfly kisses on her bare shoulder, working his way up to her neck.

"I am sure you can," Ziva replied, smiling as he did so. She opened her eyes and turned her head to face Tony. Ziva smiled as their eyes made contact.

"Come here," Tony said lowly, placing his hand under Ziva's cheek and guiding her lips toward his. As their kiss deepened, Tony propped himself up on the bed so that he was partially on top of Ziva. Their kiss lasted for minutes like that, until Ziva suddenly felt a rush of hormones go through her body. She kissed Tony harder, more passionately, and ran her fingers through his hair. She then drew her hands from Tony's hair over his shoulders and down his chest to the waistband of his boxers.

"I want you," she whispered as their lips parted. For days, Ziva had been having these hormonal urges and had been constantly turned on by Tony, particularly when he was at work being tough and in control. Ziva found it very sexy. Tony's lips formed a signature DiNozzo grin and he pulled Ziva's tank top over her head. They closed the gap between their lips again and had a morning full of passion as Ziva let Tony take control of her.

When they were finished, Tony rolled onto his back, breathing heavily. Ziva rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest, and they just laid in bed together for many minutes feeling closer than ever to each other.

"I love you," Ziva whispered.

"I love you too," Tony replied, kissing her on her forehead. "Told you I could wake you up." Ziva laughed and slightly batted Tony's shoulder as she sat up in bed.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she said. She left the room, shaking her head at her husband's humor. After getting dressed after her shower, Ziva entered the kitchen where Tony had prepared breakfast for the two of them.

"Hungry?" he asked as Ziva walked in.

"Starving," she replied.

"Really? How could you have worked up such an appetite?" Tony grinned as he filled Ziva's plate with the food he had prepared. He prepared himself a plate as well and took a seat across from Ziva.

"Thank you for breakfast," Ziva said in between bites.

"No problem," Tony replied. "I figured since it's our day off, we could spend all day together. Just you and me. So far it has been great." He flashed her another DiNozzo smile and she shook her head and looked down at her plate smiling to herself.

"So what else did you have in mind?" Ziva asked.

"Oh, I don't know. After breakfast we can do whatever you want," he replied. "Go look at baby stuff, watch a movie, lay around..."

"We're not having sex again," Ziva chuckled.

"Who said anything about sex?" Tony said humorously. "But I mean, I suppose if you _want_ to..."

"We'll see," Ziva replied, shaking her head.

"I do want to take you out to dinner tonight though," Tony said. "We haven't done that in a while." Ziva agreed that it sounded like a nice idea.

They then spent the rest of the day together. They watched a movie after breakfast, and then Tony made lunch. After lunch, they took a walk downtown. For a couple hours, Tony and Ziva walked down the streets hand-in-hand, in and out of some stores, mainly window shopping and just talking. The afternoon flew by, and before they knew it, they were getting ready for dinner.

"I'll be back in a few minutes!" Tony called from the living room to Ziva who was in the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Ziva called back.

"Don't worry about it!" Tony responded. Seconds later, the front door closed. Ziva decided not to bother wondering; she figured she would find out soon enough. She had already dressed herself in a knee length spaghetti strap navy blue dress and was finishing up her makeup. Her hair was straightened, and she was spraying herself with her favorite perfume when Tony returned home.

"Ready?" he asked as he walked into their bedroom. He looked her up and down when he saw her. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Ziva replied. "You look pretty good yourself."

"Well, we should get going," Tony said.

"Do we have reservations somewhere?" Ziva asked because Tony had not told her where they were going that night.

"Not exactly," Tony replied. Ziva decided not to question him anymore and walked with him to their car. It was just starting to get dark outside, and the city had a type of calm feeling. Ziva became more confused when Tony drove outside of the city limits. She had no idea where they were going. Finally, Tony parked the car and instructed Ziva to wait inside the car for him. He got out of the car and disappeared from sight. Ziva looked out her window at nothing but green grass and trees. There were not street lights to take away from the natural beauty of the stars, and it seemed very peaceful. Moments later, Tony returned to the car and opened Ziva's car door for her.

"Thank you," she said. Tony took her hand and walked her through some grass and down a small hill.

"Obviously, it's no restaurant," he began. "But I prepared a private dinner for us under the stars." Ziva looked out at what they were approaching and felt the smile form on her face and the love run through her body. At the bottom of the hill was a pond, and Tony had set up a dinner for them overlooking the pond. There was a blanket sprawled out over the grass with the covered platters of food sitting on it.

"It is perfect," Ziva said. They sat on the blanket, and Tony lit a candle in the middle of them to illuminate the scene. As he ate, he watched how the light from the stars and the candle shone on Ziva's hair and face. They also had a nice talk over dinner. When they were finished eating, they cleaned up their dishes and blew out the candle. Then, they laid next to each other on the blanket to talk.

"I am really glad that you did this tonight," Ziva said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I would do anything to see you smile like you have been tonight," Tony replied. Ziva smiled up at him. "That's the one." He kissed her forehead.

"You know, this is really overused, but I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world," Ziva said.

"Why is that?" Tony asked.

"Because I have a successful career, amazing friends, a loving husband, and a beautiful baby on the way," Ziva replied. "It is everything that anyone could want, and I have achieved it all."

"Yes you have," Tony agreed. "And when our baby gets here, it will be the luckiest baby to have a woman like you as its mother." Ziva smiled and kissed her husband's cheek.

"You are going to be a great father," Ziva said. "And I have been thinking a lot lately."

"About?" Tony asked.

"The baby," Ziva replied. "What to name it if it is a boy or girl."

"So have I," Tony agreed. The couple then discussed the baby names they had come up with for the next half hour, ruling out some and keeping others in mind for further discussion. Eventually they decided on two names: Aaliyah Grace for a girl and Landon Elijah for a boy. After their talk, Tony and Ziva laid on the blanket under the stars for a few more hours. They spoke briefly every so often, but mainly laid in each others arms, just happy to be together. This day together had been very much needed, and they knew that even though the next day they had to go back to work, at that moment in time nothing else mattered. For that night, they were the only two people in the world, and they were happy and at peace just being with each other.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Ok, so major Tiva there :) What can I say. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, please review and let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony was in a deep sleep after his and Ziva's long night together. In the distance, he could hear a ringing sound that was growing louder and louder by the second. Finally, realizing it was his cell phone, he was jerked awake and fumbled to answer it before it could wake Ziva.

"DiNozzo," he answered quietly. It was Gibbs. Gibbs explained to Tony that they were at a crime scene and told Tony to join them. After hanging up, Tony stood from the bed and got dressed, being careful not to wake Ziva. He then left her a quick note saying that Gibbs called him to a crime scene and he would see her at work. Then, he was out the door.

Gibbs and McGee were searching the crime scene and Ducky and Palmer were inspecting the body when Tony arrived. They were in a park downtown. A young naval officer was laying dead on the ground in front of them; it appeared he had been out for a run.

"Age twenty-two," Ducky was saying as Tony approached.

"Identification?" Gibbs asked.

"Gerald Stevens," McGee answered, reading the man's ID.

"Cause of death?" Gibbs asked, turning his attention back to Ducky.

"Well, taking into consideration this wound here on his neck, I would say definitely strangulation," Ducky replied. "And the texture of the wound along with these small fibers indicate that he was strangled with a rope."

"In a park?" Tony asked. It seemed unlikely.

"I would say that this man was killed elsewhere and dropped here," Ducky replied. The team finished their initial investigation and retreated back to headquarters.

Upon entering, McGee left to take evidence down to Abby and Gibbs went to refill his coffee. Tony walked to his desk alone and greeted Ziva.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. Ziva looked up at him from her desk. Her eyes were cold, and Tony knew something was bothering her. "What's wrong?"

"I woke up this morning and you were just gone," Ziva replied calmly, although the anger in her voice was obvious.

"Yeah, Gibbs called. I left you a note," Tony explained.

"I know, I saw it," Ziva replied, her eyes still holding the same cold expression. "You think after the night that we spent together, it is okay for you to just leave the next morning without saying a word? Without even waking me up?"

"Ziva, you're acting like we're in college and I just left you after a one-night stand or something. Let's be real here. I was just going to a crime scene, and I knew I would see you in a couple hours," Tony defended himself. "Gibbs hasn't been letting you go to crime scenes, and I knew you were tired, so I thought I'd just let you sleep. Sorry if you took it the wrong way." Ziva sighed, knowing that it was pointless being angry.

"No, I'm sorry," she said. "It is okay that you did not wake me up. I do not really even think I am mad at you. I am just mad in general, and I have no good reason."

"It's okay, Ziva," Tony replied, happy that her anger toward him had not lasted. "You're pregnant; these feelings are normal."

"I am just angry that I feel like I have nothing to do," Ziva continued. "I cannot go to crime scenes, so all I know is what you all tell me. The only way I can contribute is by doing stuff that can be done inside here. I miss doing my job, and I am just frustrated."

"I know you are," Tony said. He walked over to Ziva and put his arm around her shoulders. "But you are still contributing, just in a different way."

"A less exciting way," Ziva muttered.

"A less dangerous way," Tony corrected. "You need to keep yourself safe for you and the baby. If that means not being able to go to a few crime scenes, that's perfectly okay with me if it ensures your safety."

"Yes," Ziva sighed. "I understand that. But will you please at least keep me up to date on everything?"

"Of course," Tony replied. "I promise to do a better job of that."

"Thank you," Ziva said.

"In fact, I could start by telling you about the case this morning," Tony offered and walked back toward his own desk. "Twenty-two year old Gerald Stevens. Death by strangulation. The killer strangled him and dumped him in a park downtown."

"And?" Ziva asked when she was unsure if Tony was going to continue.

"Well, that's all for right now," Tony replied.

"Oh," Ziva sighed disappointed. "Okay then. This just adds to how uneventful my job has become."

"Hang in there, Ziva. It will all the worth it when the baby is here," Tony assured her. In the back of his mind he was remembering how angry Ziva had been with him when he came in to work today and was hoping that was the worst of her mood swings. Deep down, he knew there would be more to come, and he hoped he could prepare himself in time.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Thanks for reading. Please remember to review!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hello, and thanks to those who read and review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

It had been a couple days since Ziva's mood swing at the NCIS headquarters, and they had definitely not stopped. Tony had been enduring the effects of his wife's changing moods ever since, ranging from extreme happiness to extreme anger or depression. Everything seemed to be a much bigger deal to Ziva than it ordinarily would have been. Tony knew it was the pregnancy doing it to her, and in a few short months he would have his wife back along with a beautiful new baby. That was enough for him to bite his tongue and deal with whatever Ziva said or did. Aside from the mood swings, Ziva had also developed some outrageous cravings. Sure, she craved some normal foods such as CoCo Puffs every morning, but what she had recently been eating was pickles and peanut butter. Tony cringed whenever he thought about it and could not imagine how that particular combination could sound appetizing to anyone, but he did not question Ziva and simply provided her with whatever she craved. Besides food, Ziva had also been craving sex more, which was one aspect in Tony's favor.

When Tony woke up one morning, Ziva was already awake. She was down the hallways throwing up in the bathroom. Tony sighed and went to join and comfort his wife. He held her hair and rubbed her back as she emptied her stomach. When she was finished, she wiped her face and brushed her teeth.

"I thought this was over," Ziva mumbled.

"Babe, you're only a little over fifteen weeks pregnant," Tony said sympathetically. "This could go on for the next several months."

"Way to make me feel better sweetheart," Ziva snapped sarcastically and walked past her husband and back into their bedroom.

"Can I get you anything?" Tony asked, following her.

"You can get this child out of me so I can go back to feeling healthy and being able to actually work at work," Ziva replied. Tony took note of the fact that this was appearing to be one of her days of dealing with depression.

"If I could make it time to have the baby, you know I would," Tony comforted. "But for now you just have to keep reminding yourself of how everything will pay off when the baby is born."

"I know," Ziva sighed. She was silent for a moment before her eyes widened and she lunged toward the door. "Oh, God..." She ran back to the bathroom and started vomiting again. Tony went with her to comfort her again. After the second time, they found themselves in the bedroom again.

"Are you feeling any better, Zi?" Tony asked, concerned at how sick she was this morning.

"Not really," Ziva replied. "I feel like it could happen again any second." She sat on the bed and placed her forehead in her palms. Tony sat next to her and rubbed her back in comfort.

"Why don't you stay home from work today," he suggested.

"I might as well," Ziva replied bitterly. "I am nearly worthless there anyway."

"No you're not," Tony assured her. "But since you're so sick this morning, I think it would be best if you just stayed here and got your rest instead." After a moment Ziva nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she said. "I will try and get some rest."

"Are you going to be okay?" Tony asked. "I can stay home with you if you want." Ziva shook her head immediately.

"No," she replied. "I will be fine. I can take care of myself. Besides, we are so close to solving the Stevens case, and I think you need to be there."

"You're sure?" Tony asked, wanting to take all the precautions in making certain that he would not get yelled at by Ziva for leaving her alone all day.

"I am positive," she replied.

"Okay then," Tony relented. He got ready for work and gave Ziva a kiss goodbye. "Call me if you need _anything._"

"I will," Ziva promised. "Love you."

"Love you too," Tony returned. "Get some rest." He covered Ziva with their bedspread and placed one last kiss on her head before leaving for work. Ziva then fell into a peaceful nap.

At work, Gibbs looked at Tony questioningly when he entered alone.

"Ziva was too sick this morning, boss," Tony explained when he saw Gibbs' expression. Gibbs nodded his understanding.

"We've got a breakthrough," Gibbs said. He stood and walked in the direction of interrogation, McGee and Tony following closely. As Gibbs interrogated Stevens' wife Charlotte Stevens, McGee and Tony watched through the glass.

"So is Ziva okay?" McGee asked.

"She's fine," Tony replied. "Why do you ask, McGoo?"

"Well, you said she was too sick to come to work. I was just wondering if she should be alone."

"What are you saying?" Tony asked. "That I would leave her alone if she was terribly ill?"

"No, Tony, I know you wouldn't do that," McGee replied. "But you know if you wanted to be with her today you could go home. We've almost got this solved."

"I offered," Tony said. "She said she would be fine alone. I made her promise to call if she needed me." McGee nodded and turned back to the glass.

"Well I'm glad she's doing okay," he said. A few minutes later, Charlotte Stevens admitted to being an accomplice in her husband's murder, along with the man she was having an affair with, Kyle Logan. Tony and McGee then left to bring Logan into custody.

Meanwhile, at Tony and Ziva's apartment, Ziva had woken up from her nap and was bored. Although she had told Tony not to stay home, she was now wishing that he had stayed after all. Ziva went into the kitchen and ate a bowl of CoCo Puffs before snuggling under a blanket on the couch and watching a movie. During the movie, Ziva fell asleep again and was not awoken until Tony entered the apartment that evening. She sat abruptly up on the couch upon her husband entering.

"Well hello there," he greeted with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Ziva replied, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Just still kind of tired."

"I see that," Tony observed as he walked over and gave her a kiss. He sat on the arm of the couch and Ziva rested her head on his lap. They were silent for a few moments and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"We solved the case," Tony said, breaking the silence.

"Really?" Ziva asked, lifting her head to look at him.

"Yeah," Tony replied. "You said to keep you informed."

"Who was it?" Ziva asked.

"His wife Charlotte and her secret lover Kyle," Tony replied. Ziva frowned, obviously disappointed about something. "What is it?"

"I am glad that the case is solved. And thank you for keeping me informed. But I am upset that I had to miss it," Ziva explained.

"Ziva, you were sick," Tony pointed out.

"I just do not like to miss things, Tony," Ziva replied sternly.

"I know," he replied softly. "But I know something that will make you feel better."

"What's that?" she asked, looking up at him again. Tony smiled down at Ziva seductively and winked at her. Ziva returned his smile and allowed him to pick her up from the couch and carry her into their bedroom. One thing was certain, he really did know how to make her feel better.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, there's chapter 6 :) I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

One day the following week, Ziva was down in Abby's lab while the men were at a new crime scene. Abby's lab had become Ziva's go-to place when a new case was developing. It gave her somewhere to go and someone to talk to. The two women were sitting at a counter talking; Abby was drinking a Caf-Pow that she had stored in her refrigerator, Ziva a water bottle.

"As much as I love our talks," Ziva began, "I will certainly be happy when I can rejoin the team at crime scenes."

"Aww, I'm totally going to miss our talks!" Abby pouted.

"Abby, it is not like I am never going to talk to you. I will just finally be a useful contribution to the team again," Ziva explained.

"Well right now all you need to worry about is keeping the baby healthy," Abby pointed out. "And staying away from crime scenes helps with that."

"Yeah," Ziva sighed, rubbing her belly.

"So, when do we know if it's a boy or girl?" Abby asked, changing the subject, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"I am sixteen weeks pregnant, so I should be able to find out in about two weeks," Ziva replied.

"Ooh, that's exciting," Abby smiled. "What are you hoping for?"

"It really does not matter to me as long as the baby is healthy," Ziva replied.

"Ziva, that's the generic response," Abby complained. "All parents say that, but everyone really has a preference. I'm positive Tony would want a boy first."

"He has not said," Ziva replied.

"Well with a boy, Tony could look forward to typical father-son stuff. You know, sports and whatnot. Plus, if you have a boy first, all your other kids will have a big brother figure to look up to," Abby explained.

"All our other kids?" Ziva repeated.

"You don't expect this to be your only baby do you?" Abby asked incredulously.

"Well, we have not talked about it," Ziva replied. "But I do not think that I could handle being shunned from crime scenes for nine months too many times."

"Well the baby needs a playmate," Abby pressed on.

"Why don't you have a baby then?" Ziva asked, putting the pressure on Abby.

"With who?" Abby responded. "But yes, our kids would absolutely be playmates." Ziva smiled at Abby's excitement and persistence.

"Maybe Tony and I will have more children, but I am just excited to get through this pregnancy first," Ziva said rubbing her stomach again.

"I'll bet Tony can't wait either," Abby smiled.

"No, you are right," Ziva replied. "Tony is very excited to have the baby."

"I can imagine so," Abby agreed. "Poor Tony, having to go that long without sex." Abby shook her head in mock sympathy.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Well just that Tony probably isn't used to going months at a time without sex," Abby explained. "And since you're pregnant..."

"Pregnant people should not have sex?" Ziva asked. Abby's mouth dropped open for a moment as she tried to figure out how to continue with the conversation that had suddenly turned awkward.

"Well it's just that a lot of guys have fears or insecurities about having sex with a pregnant woman," she explained. "They feel weird with the baby being in the middle, and a lot are worried that they will harm the baby in the womb." Abby paused a moment. "You guys haven't talked about any of that?"

"No, not at all," Ziva replied shaking her head. "Tony has not had any of those fears. If he has, he has not made it obvious."

"So then you guys..." Abby let her voice trail off, implying her question. Ziva smiled and turned away in response. "Wow. So, it isn't weird for you?"

"No, you know, actually..." Ziva stammered a bit and trailed off, uncomfortable with the conversation. "Tony and I both know that the baby will not be harmed. And we are still a married couple, so..." She turned away, hoping Abby would get the hint to change the subject.

"Sorry," Abby laughed. "It's just that there aren't too many people who don't have those insecurities. At least not that I've talked to."

"It is okay," Ziva replied smiling. "But to answer your question...No it is not weird. It is actually rather...enjoyable." Abby laughed and Ziva turned away again. Finally the topic was dropped, and moments later, Tony walked into Abby's lab. Upon his entering, Abby could not help but stare at him.

"Uh, hi Abby," Tony said, confused by her stare.

"Hi Tony," Abby replied trying to hold back her smile.

"What's going on?" Tony asked curiously. He felt the awkwardness in the air and noticed Abby stifling a smile.

"Nothing," Ziva said quickly. "What did you need?"

"Gibbs needs you upstairs," Tony replied, turning his attention toward his wife.

"Okay. Thank you," Ziva said as she stood up and turned toward Abby. "It was nice talking to you. I am sure I will see you again soon."

"Yep, see you later," Abby replied, still trying not to smile and still staring at Tony. Ziva and Tony left Abby's lab and walked toward the elevator.

"Why does it seem like every time I enter Abby's lab, I'm interrupting something?" Tony asked as the elevator door closed.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked innocently. Tony gave her a hard look.

"That seemed flat out awkward," Tony replied.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Ziva smiled. "We were talking about the baby."

"Mhm," Tony breathed, not completely believing his wife.

"You are not mad, are you? It is not a big deal. It is just innocent girl talk," Ziva assured her husband.

"I know you," Tony pointed out. "You don't generally partake in innocent girl talk."

"Well, now that I am confined to this building, there is nothing else for me to do," Ziva explained.

"Well I don't like feeling awkward every time I enter Abby's lab," Tony said.

"Well, what is it that you always tell me? It will all be worth it when the baby comes," Ziva said slightly jokingly before playfully winking at Tony and exiting the elevator. Tony sighed and smiled before following her out of the elevator and returning to the rest of his day of work.

0-0-0

**A/N:** So, I promise that there is action and excitement coming! Bonus: you find out the gender in the next chapter! So, let's see how badly you guys want to know what's going to happen: please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Wow, you guys got a lot better about reviewing after this past chapter! Keep it up; I really appreciate it! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Two weeks had passed, and an eighteen-week-pregnant Ziva was lying in bed next to her husband. Tony was on the brink of falling asleep; his eyes were closed and he was in between sleep and reality. Next to him, Ziva was wide awake. She was lying on her back staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep due to the fact that she wasn't even remotely tired. She was buzzing with many emotions, mostly excitement because the next day was when she and Tony were going to find out the sex of the baby. It was the day they had been waiting for ever since Ziva revealed the big news. Finally, it had arrived, and Ziva could not understand how Tony could be sleeping. She let out a huge sigh before sitting up, leaning against the headboard. Tony did not stir. Ziva looked at him for a moment, slightly annoyed that he was still sleeping. She sat with her arms folded for a moment longer before letting out another big sigh. This time, Tony grumbled something inaudible.

"Tony," Ziva said rather annoyed.

"Huh?" he asked groggily, still not moving.

"Will you sit up and talk to me?" she asked.

"Why?" he asked, still half asleep and still not moving. Ziva sighed again.

"Because I am not tired and I want to talk," she replied. Tony laid there for a moment longer before giving in to her and sitting up with a sigh of his own.

"I'm up," he yawned and wiped his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I cannot sleep," Ziva stated. Tony stared at her, not knowing what to say.

"Can I get you anything?" he offered. Ziva shook her head.

"I just want it to be tomorrow," she sighed, rubbing her stomach.

"Tomorrow will come faster the sooner we go to sleep," Tony offered. Ziva smiled at his explanation.

"That sounds like a way of bribing a child to go to sleep," she said.

"It is," Tony laughed. "Maybe we'll have to use it in a couple years. You know, birthdays, Christmas Eve." Ziva nodded.

"I love thinking of what it will be like a few years from now," she said with her hand on her stomach.

"Me too," Tony agreed. "We'll have our own family."

"Do you think you are going to want more kids?" Ziva asked bluntly. Tony thought for a moment.

"Probably at least one more," he replied. "I want this child to have someone to play with and grow up with. I don't want him or her to be an only child."

"I agree," Ziva said after a moment. "I think one more will be nice for him or her." She was then silent for about a minute. "Him or her..."

"Well yes," Tony said. "Those are the two possibilities..."

"Do you have a preference?" Ziva asked in her same blunt way.

"No, not really," Tony replied, shaking his head.

"Really?" Ziva asked, not entirely believing him.

"Do you?" he asked, diverting the question.

"I will love this child either way, but I am secretly hoping for a girl," Ziva answered thruthfully.

"A girl would be nice," Tony agreed. "But that would be more work for me."

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked, genuinely confused.

"Well, if we have a girl, I'm sure she'll be just as beautiful as her mother. So, naturally, all the boys will want her. And I, being her father, would have to protect her and keep them all away from her. After all, if we have a boy, we only have to worry about one penis. If we have a girl, we have to worry about hundreds," Tony explained in complete seriousness. Ziva laughed at her husband's reasoning.

"So, you are hoping for a boy, then," she said as more of a statement than a question.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Tony replied. Ziva nodded. They were silent for a few moments as they both thought about their future with their child.

"Are you ever nervous?" Ziva asked.

"Nervous about what?" Tony asked, concerned.

"In general," she replied. "That something could go wrong, or there could be complications, or we make big mistakes as parents." Tony shook his head and raised his hand to Ziva's chin, turning her face to face his own. He looked her deep in the eyes as he answered.

"Ziva, listen to me. Every parent makes mistakes. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. But, we will be as close to perfect as we can. We will love the baby unconditionally, and it will have everything we can possibly provide. You don't have to worry about that at all," Tony assured her. "As far as complications go, it's unlikely. You're almost five months pregnant, so the chances of anything like what you're thinking are very much decreased. The big part was making it through the first trimester. We don't have nearly as much to worry about. And complications with the birth won't happen. We have an excellent doctor, and you just have to have faith that everything will be fine."

"Do you think everything will be fine?" Ziva asked. Tony smiled and nodded.

"I think everything will go great," he replied. "I think in October, we will have a healthy new baby, and we will all be happy."

"I hope so," Ziva agreed. "I really hope so. But sometimes at nights, I just feel like something is going to go wrong. Like something is going to happen. It only comes to me at night sometimes when I cannot sleep." Tony shook his head.

"No, Ziva, everything will be okay," he promised. "You probably just have those thoughts because at night is when our minds think of everything, good and bad, all at once. That's your biggest fear, and at night your mind is totally open to exploring it. I swear, tomorrow, once you see that ultrasound, when we actually _see_ our baby and find out if it's a boy or girl, your fears will go right away." Ziva nodded.

"You are right," she said. "I just need to see the baby. It has been so long..." Tony nodded in agreement.

"I'm excited," he said.

"Me too," Ziva agreed. She yawned.

"Looks like you're finally ready for bed," Tony observed.

"Yeah," Ziva laughed. "Thanks for getting up to talk to me."

"Any time, babe," Tony smiled. "You know I love you."

"And I love you too," Ziva replied. They shared a quick kiss before laying back down and finally falling asleep.

0-0-0

Several hours later, Tony and Ziva were getting dressed and ready to leave. Gibbs knew they were going to be late for work due to the doctor appointment, and he was very understanding about it. He knew that Ziva wanted Tony to be there, especially because this particular appointment was when they were finding out the baby's gender. As Ziva was brushing her hair, Tony stood in the bathroom doorway watching her. He was completely ready. After a few more minutes, Ziva was ready to go as well, so the two of them left their apartment and headed for the hospital.

Tony and Ziva arrived and were waiting alone in the room for the doctor to join them. They were both very anxious and excited to hear what the doctor was going to tell them. It felt like hours to them before the doctor finally entered, prepared to start the ultrasound.

"Hello," Dr. Beckman greeted them cheerfully.

"Hello," Tony and Ziva replied. Tony stood from the chair he had been sitting on and went to stand by Ziva.

"Are we ready for this?" Dr. Beckman asked, referring to determining the gender. Tony and Ziva both nodded.

"Absolutely," Tony replied.

"We are very excited," Ziva added.

"Well, then let's get the show on the road," Dr. Beckman smiled as she pulled on a clean pair of gloves and hurried around the room getting everything ready.

"All right, I'm going to have you just lay down now," said the doctor. Ziva laid back and rested her head on the pillow behind her. Tony took her hand comfortingly in his own and Ziva squeezed it lightly. Dr. Beckman lifted Ziva's shirt and applied the gel, which felt rather cold on Ziva's skin. Moments later, Tony and Ziva were face to face with their baby on the monitor in front of them.

"There's your baby," Dr. Beckman said with a smile.

"Wow," Tony whispered in awe.

"Perfect," Ziva whispered with a big smile on her face.

"And there's the spine," Dr. Beckman was saying and pointing at the screen. "Are you ready to know the gender?" Tony and Ziva nodded. Dr. Beckman smiled at the couple and pointed out a few more parts on the screen.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "There it is." Dr. Beckman smiled and pointed to a certain spot on the screen.

"What?" Ziva asked anxiously. Dr. Beckman faced them and kept pointing at the monitor.

"It's a boy!"

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, I know some of you were pulling for a girl, but at least now you know! If you want to know what happens next, don't forget to review! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hello all. Thank you for the reviews :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters; so far all I own is Dr. Beckman.

0-0-0

After the doctor appointment, Tony and Ziva were driving to work, both extremely happy with the news. They were looking forward to the rest of the preparations needed over the next twenty-two weeks before they welcomed baby Landon into their family. During the drive to NCIS headquarters, neither Tony nor Ziva said much. They were both extremely excited and were consumed in their own thoughts. They couldn't wait to get to work and tell everyone.

"Abby just texted me," Ziva said suddenly. "She wants to know how close we are and what we are having."

"Well don't tell her. That would ruin the surprise," Tony replied as he pulled into the parking lot. "And we're here."

Tony parked the car and he and Ziva walked into the building, happier than they had ever been. They made the same journey that they made every day, but this time it seemed like it took longer because of how excited they were. When the elevator door opened, Ziva held back the urge to take off running to her coworkers to tell them sooner. She and Tony walked calmly toward their desks where Abby had recently made Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer gather with herself.

"They're here!" Abby exclaimed upon seeing Tony and Ziva. "Well, what's the news?"

Abby was nearly bouncing up and down waiting for Tony or Ziva to speak. She was overjoyed to be learning if her godchild was a boy or a girl, and she didn't even bother to try to remotely hide her emotions. McGee looked semi-excited. He was happy for Tony and Ziva, but he wasn't nearly as ecstatic as Abby. Ducky was waiting patiently for the news. He had a small caring smile, but was just calm. Palmer looked almost indifferent. He was there mainly because Abby had made him come. Although he was happy for Tony and Ziva, finding out the gender of the baby wasn't what he viewed as the highlight of his day, and Tony and Ziva understood that. Gibbs, standing behind Abby and McGee, was also waiting patiently for the news while sipping his coffee. He wasn't overly excited, but he had a small smile on his face and a caring, almost fatherly, look in his eyes, which Ziva noticed.

"Will you tell us?" Abby exclaimed. "We've been waiting all morning!"

"Okay, okay," Tony gave in. He smiled and looked at Ziva.

"It's a boy!" Ziva exclaimed. Abby squealed in delight and jumped over to hug Ziva. While Abby was hugging Ziva, McGee shook Tony's hand in congratulations. Abby then pounced on Tony with a long, tight hug. She whispered congratulations in his ear. McGee hugged and congratulated Ziva. Ducky hugged Ziva and told them both congratulations, and Palmer simply said congratulations to the two of them. Gibbs did not approach his agents, but he made eye contact with each of them and gave them a smile and a nod. They knew that they had their boss's approval and blessing, and they were happy with that.

"So what do you say, in celebration of this wonderful news, I treat you all to dinner after work," Ducky was saying. Instantly, he received mixed reactions from everyone. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Ducky, you really do not have to," Ziva said.

"I know, my dear. But I want to," Ducky replied with a smile. They all knew it was then settled. After work they would be going to dinner to celebrate.

Work seemed to pass very slowly the rest of the day. After a few more minutes of congratulating Tony and Ziva, Ducky, Palmer, and Abby had all made their way back downstairs, leaving the four agents at their desks. The four of them were quiet, all sitting at their desks doing paperwork, although Tony and Ziva's minds were not on their work. Periodically, they would glance up from their desks and meet each others' eyes. They could read the happiness in each other and both knew that neither of them wanted to be at work. They had been excited to tell their team the news, but after doing so, work had not seemed appealing at all. So, they sat at their desks, sorting through their work, watching the clock as the hours passed. Finally, Ducky came upstairs and asked if they were all ready to go to dinner.

The team left work and followed Ducky to the diner where he had planned to take them. Tony and Ziva were behind Abby's car on the street as they drove.

"You know," Tony said, "we don't _have_ to go out to eat with them. We could go home right now and just say you didn't feel good."

"Yes, but then some of them, definitely Abby would come over to make sure that I felt better," Ziva pointed out. "Do you not want to go to dinner with them?"

"Yes and no," Tony replied. "Don't get me wrong, I like spending time with them, but after sharing the news with them at work, I was looking forward to spending the day with you. It is a special day after all."

"Yes it is," Ziva agreed. "But it is special for them too. You saw how excited Abby got in particular. They are happy for us, and this is very nice of Ducky."

"It is," Tony agreed. He pulled in to the parking lot of the diner and parked next to Abby. Abby got out of her car and waited for Ziva to do the same. The group walked inside together and were seated at a large table. After placing their orders, they waited for someone to strike up a conversation.

"So, what's your final decision for the name, then?" McGee asked.

"Landon Elijah," Ziva replied. McGee nodded his approval and said it sounded nice.

"I love it," Abby said. "And I can't wait til he's here! I know I say that all the time, but I want to meet my godson so bad!"

"Believe me, we want to meet him too," Ziva smiled. Across the table, McGee was saying something to Palmer about one of their recent cases and Ziva overheard and sighed.

"Don't worry," Abby said, realizing what had just crossed Ziva's mind. "A few more weeks and you'll be right back out there."

"Twenty-two," Ziva laughed. "And then maternity leave."

"Okay, so it will be a few months," Abby said more realistically. "But it'll be so worth the wait. Besides, I don't get why you're so excited to get back to being around a bunch of dead bodies when you should be enjoying your pregnancy."

"I am enjoying it," Ziva replied. "I just want to be included at work again. You know that."

"Yes I do," Abby agreed. "But let's just try to focus on the good stuff right now. You're having a _baby_, and it's a _boy_." Ziva smiled.

"I know," she said. "I could not be happier about that."

"So, did Tony get his wish?" Abby asked.

"He did secretly want a boy," Ziva admitted. "But I know he would have been just as happy regardless." Abby nodded.

"Hopefully the next one will be a girl," she said, winking jokingly at Ziva who just chuckled and rolled her eyes. She felt Tony, who was sitting next to her talking to Gibbs, reach over and gently take her hand in his under the table. Ziva rubbed her stomach with her other hand and smiled, knowing that no matter how many kids they have, whether they are boys or girls, or whatever else happens in the future, she would always have Tony, and she knew they could do anything together.

0-0-0

**A/N:** So, there's chapter 9. I hope you enjoyed it. I know there have been a few of you reviewing who have had speculations on what my tragedy is going to be later on, and I want to assure you all that I won't try to take on a storyline that I am not completely confident that I can handle to write properly. That being said, something tragic does happen at some point. But, I want you all to have faith in me and stick with this story :) If any of you know my writing style, you know I do like happy endings. Keep that in mind while you're pondering this tragedy I have planned. Well, I thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed, and hope you all review!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews :) Keep reading! 

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Over the next couple of days, the excitement level had calmed down at work, and things were starting to get back to normal. McGee and Gibbs rarely discussed the baby, and Abby was definitely the most excited of Tony and Ziva's coworkers. Ziva and Tony were laying in bed one morning on their day off. Both were in the process of waking up and were still extremely tired. Ziva stretched and rolled onto her side to face Tony, placed her hand on his chest, and nuzzled her head on his shoulder. They laid there together for nearly a half hour just being comfortable and together. Finally, when she realized that neither of them would be going back to sleep, Ziva let out a sigh, signaling her disgruntled feelings about getting out of bed. They got out of bed and washed up in the bathroom before going into the kitchen where they both ate a bowl of CoCo Puffs. Tony had accepted the fact that this cereal was Ziva's biggest craving and he had given in to eating it as well.

"So what do you want to do today?" Tony asked between spoon fulls.

"Well, I was thinking," Ziva began. "Now that we know we are having a boy, we could start on the nursery."

"You don't think it's a bit early for that?" Tony asked. Ziva shook her head.

"No I do not," she replied. "I would rather have the nursery finished weeks prior to Landon's arrival than have him arrive and the nursery not be done."

"Yeah, you have a point," Tony agreed. "Besides, it could be fun."

"Good," Ziva smiled, happy that Tony was enthusiastic about fixing up the nursery. She had been secretly looking forward to doing so for a long time and had many ideas in mind already.

After breakfast, Tony and Ziva got dressed and left their apartment to head downtown. They went from store to store picking out furniture and comparing prices. At a hardware store, they looked at different paint chips and decided on a light shade of blue for the walls. They also looked at different designs of borders to put around the perimeter of the room. That day, they purchased the paint for the walls and put some furniture in layaway so they could be guaranteed to have it when they were ready to assemble everything. When Tony and Ziva arrived at home, it was nearly one in the afternoon. They heated up some leftovers from the refrigerator and sat on the couch watching Adam Sandler's latest movie, Grown Ups.

"So, when do you actually want to get started on the nursery?" Ziva asked. She tried to sound nonchalant about it, but Tony knew that she was overly excited to finally start this project.

"I don't know," he replied.

"Well I want to do it soon. I want to have it done before I get _too_ big because I want to help as much as possible," Ziva explained.

"I understand that, sweetie," Tony said. "I guess we can get started this week if you want."

"Okay," Ziva smiled, happy that Tony was cooperating.

They watched the rest of the movie and afterward went into the bedroom that was designated as the nursery. One wall was completely bare, one wall was nearly taken up by the closet, and each of the other two walls had a window on it. Tony and Ziva spent the rest of the afternoon taking measurements and discussing the layout of the finished nursery. With an idea clear in their minds, they went to bed for the night, eager to get started on their big project.

The next day, Ziva and Abby took their lunch together and went downtown to window shop. They went into a few different stores and came across a lot of cute baby decorations. In one particular store, Abby pointed out a framed picture that Ziva instantly fell in love with. The picture featured four bears at a circus and came complete with the frame. Ziva knew she had to buy it and display it in her son's nursery, so she picked it out and paid for it.

"Think Tony will be upset that you're out buying stuff on lunch?" Abby asked semi-seriously.

"I do not think he will mind," Ziva replied. "He is rather eager to start on this nursery as well."

"Well hey, I know this is short notice, but what would you think about a girls night tonight?" Abby asked. "We can just hang out the two of us. We can get dinner and go shopping again if you'd like. Or just chill and talk."

"Yes, that would be nice," Ziva replied.

Abby and Ziva returned to work for the rest of the afternoon. After work, Ziva told Tony that she was going to be hanging out with Abby that evening. She gave him a kiss goodbye and left for her girls night. Tony returned to their apartment alone and decided to surprise Ziva by painting the nursery. He spent the next couple of hours painting the walls of the nursery in the light shade of blue they had decided on. When he finished, he made himself some spaghetti and was sitting on the couch when Ziva came home.

"Hello," she greeted.

"How was your evening?" Tony asked as his wife joined him on the couch.

"It was nice," Ziva replied. "How was yours?"

"Uneventful," Tony replied. "I do have a surprise for you though."

"And what is that?" Ziva asked.

"Come here," Tony said as he took Ziva's hand and led her from the living room, down the hallway, and outside the door of Landon's nursery.

"Feast your eyes upon this," he said as he opened the door to reveal the nursery fully painted in a lovely shade of baby blue. Ziva gasped and her mouth fell open. Tony could tell by the look in her eyes that she loved it.

"You did this today?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Tony replied smiling.

"It looks fantastic, Tony," Ziva said. "You did a great job."

"Thank you," Tony answered. "I thought you would like it. Now we just have to get the furniture and decorations."

"That should be fun," Ziva said. Tony nodded his agreement. Shortly there after, the couple went to bed.

Tony and Ziva spent the remainder of the week finishing the nursery. They had chosen a border that featured animals and was a light blue and yellow color to put in the middle of the walls around the perimeter of the room. They also hung some childish artwork, including the picture that Ziva had bought at lunch the other day. The dresser they had picked out was placed along the bare wall, and they put a changing station next to it. In the corner between the two windows, the crib was placed, and they had bought block letters to spell out "Landon" that they placed on the wall above the crib. Ziva had enjoyed watching Tony assemble the crib, laughing and picking on him when he struggled with minor difficulties along the way. However, he figured it out just fine.

"It looks good," Tony said as he and Ziva stood in the doorway. It had been hard work, but after several days, they had completed the nursery.

"It sure does," Ziva agreed.

"Good job," Tony said.

"Good job to you too. You did most of the work," Ziva pointed out.

"Well it wouldn't look nearly this good without your ideas you thought up," Tony reminded her.

"It was a joint effort," Ziva concluded. Tony agreed.

"Well, I'm glad it's ready," he sighed and put his arm around Ziva's shoulders.

"Me too," she agreed. "Now all we need is the baby."

"Give him time," Tony said. "You're almost half way there."

Tony and Ziva admired their work in the nursery for a little while longer. They were very pleased with themselves for constructing such a nice looking room in such little time. Tony would have been okay with drawing the process out a bit, but Ziva had insisted on completing the room in a timely manner. After all was said and done, Tony was glad that they did. So they stood, pleased with their work and happy together, knowing that in a few months, their son would be taking full advantage of the effort they had put into the room and that they were one step closer to being a complete family.

0-0-0

**A/N:** And there's chapter 10 :) I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Enjoy chapter 11 :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Ziva rolled over in bed as she woke up. When her eyes opened, she was struck with an intense pain in her head. She closed her eyes tightly and massaged her temples, trying to make the pain go away. The pain was so intense, she was on the verge of tears. Ziva was feigning for aspirin, although she knew that she could not take anything for the pain in reality due to her pregnancy. So, she kept massaging her temples and praying for the pain to go away. While she was doing this, Tony woke up and noticed his wife in pain.

"Are you okay, Zi?" he asked in a concerned tone as he propped up on one elbow and placed his hand against her cheek.

"My head is killing me," Ziva replied through clenched teeth. "I do not know why."

"Is there anything I can do?" Tony asked. Ziva shook her head.

"Just get ready for work," she instructed. "I will be fine." Reluctantly, Tony obeyed. He hated leaving his wife alone in that much pain, but he knew there was nothing he could do to help with her migraine. When Tony reentered the bedroom after his shower, Ziva was sitting up in bed, appearing to be feeling somewhat better.

"Is it gone?" Tony asked, wondering how such an intense migraine could pass so quickly.

"The pain is not as bad," Ziva replied. "I still have a headache."

"Do you feel okay other than that?" Tony asked.

"I just feel a bit nauseous," Ziva replied. "But that is nothing to worry about." Tony nodded and crossed the room to his closet. While he dressed, Ziva remained sitting on the bed. She was swallowing continually, trying not to vomit. She placed her forehead in her palms; something didn't feel right, but she didn't know exactly what. Tony walked over to the bed and sat next to his wife, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you want to stay home from work?" he asked softly. "I can take you to the doctor. I don't like how sick you're feeling right now." Ziva shook her head and looked at Tony lovingly.

"Thank you, but no. I will be fine," Ziva replied. "It is probably just bad morning sickness. Some women have it all throughout their pregnancy after all."

"Are you positive that you want to go to work?" Tony asked. Ziva nodded.

"Yes. I am fine," she replied. Tony gave in and Ziva began getting ready for work. While she was getting ready, Tony kept a close eye on her. He knew she wasn't feeling well, and he knew it was different than usual, but if Ziva was confident that everything was okay, he knew he should be too. It was Ziva's body after all; she knew it better than anyone else.

A half hour later, Tony and Ziva walked into the NCIS headquarters and went to their respective desks. Ziva sat, sipping a bottle of water periodically, trying to focus on her work rather than her feeling of sickness. Tony sat across from her and watched her, hoping that nothing was wrong with her or the baby and that this really was just a bad case of morning sickness. No more than ten minutes later, Gibbs entered and announced he had received word of a dead marine. He instructed Tony and McGee to grab their gear and follow him. Tony gave Ziva a quick peck on the top of the head and then Ziva was left alone. She retreated down to Abby's lab like she had been doing every time the men had gone out to a crime scene.

"New case?" Abby assumed as Ziva came through the door of the lab. Ziva nodded but didn't say anything. She sat down and took a couple deep breaths, causing Abby to look at her very concerned.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. Ziva nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "I am really not feeling well, but it is just bad morning sickness."

"Oh," Abby said, not completely convinced that Ziva was telling the whole truth. She decided to change the subject. "So, what's new with you?"

"Well," Ziva began, determined to keep her mind off of her nausea. "Tony and I are nearly completely ready for baby Landon."

"Really? How's the nursery coming along?" Abby asked.

"The nursery is finished," Ziva smiled proudly. "And it looks great. The walls are a light blue, we have that border around the walls that I showed you. Everything is set up and ready for the baby."

"Awesome," Abby said. "Now if it could only be October."

"I could not agree more. I am ready to have this baby," Ziva agreed.

"I can't wait for my godson," Abby sighed. "And I'm just so happy for you and Tony."

"Thank you Abby. We are very happy too," Ziva said.

"It's just wonderful that after so many years, you two finally got together and are having a baby. I couldn't think of two people who are any more deserving," Abby continued. Ziva smiled modestly to show her appreciation. "And I just can't wait to be a godmother!"

"Tony and I know that you will be great with him," Ziva laughed. "And we are almost half way there."

"Yeah, how far are you now, exactly?" Abby asked.

"About nineteen and a half weeks," Ziva replied. Abby nodded.

"It seems like you've been pregnant so much longer and it should just be time," Abby pouted, her anxiety obvious. Ziva chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, well if I had it my way, we would already have the baby," she said. Just then, Ziva's phone vibrated, so she checked it. "Tony just texted me. He says they are back and I need to come upstairs."

"Why didn't he come down like he always does?" Abby asked.

"He is probably tired of 'interrupting us'," Ziva laughed as she remembered what Tony had told her last time he went to Abby's lab. Abby laughed as well and Ziva excused herself to head back upstairs.

In the elevator, Ziva continued trying to hold back her nauseous feeling. She was also still dealing with a headache when she became very lightheaded all of a sudden. Ziva grabbed onto the rail inside the elevator for balance and closed her eyes, wishing for things to be normal again. When her lightheaded feeling passed, she slowly opened her eyes and focused on the floor below her. She slowly raised her focus up to the elevator door as the elevator reached the proper floor. Ziva swallowed hard and slowly released the railing as she exited the elevator, her hands shaking and sweating.

"Ziva!" Gibbs called as Ziva approached the team. He tossed a folder her way and she caught it. She sat at her desk and opened it to read the information. Tony was seated at his desk across from his wife and was watching her as she read. He was still very concerned about Ziva, and was frightened when he noticed her hands shaking.

"Ziva, are-"

"I am fine, Tony," she interrupted. Tony sighed and tried to focus on his own work. He still glanced over at Ziva periodically and found it hard to focus on anything else.

Ziva too was trying to focus on her work, but her bad feelings were becoming overwhelming. She had a horrible feeling that something wasn't right, but she tried to ignore it. As she turned a page in the folder, she jumped suddenly and tightened her grip on the paper she was holding as she felt a sudden pang in her abdomen. She didn't know what the pain was, but it quickly went away. Worriedly, she looked over at Tony to see if he had seen what had just happened. He had not. Ziva shook her head and took a few deep breaths, trying to reason with herself and come up with explanations for the pain she had felt. Maybe she had gas; maybe it was a quick pang of nausea. Ziva swallowed hard and tried again to focus on her work.

Over the next several minutes, Tony glanced Ziva's way multiple times to check on her. She was really scaring him and had been all day. He thought that he should have taken Ziva to the doctor that morning regardless of her objections. He was worried for the well-being of his wife and of his son. Tony was completely unaware of the intensity of Ziva's discomfort across from him.

As Ziva looked through her work, her nausea was slowly going away and was being replaced with pain. The pain stretched across her abdomen, and it began to intensify slowly. Ziva knew that something was wrong and she had to get help.

"Ziva," Tony said, unable to keep to himself any longer. "Sweetheart, are you okay? You are really pale."

Ziva didn't say anything, but she put her papers down on her desk, her hands shaking violently from the pain she was in. She took a deep breath and slowly stood from her desk. Gibbs, McGee, and Tony all had their eyes on her, as they all knew something was wrong.

"Ziva?" Tony said softly as he pushed his chair back, getting ready to go over to his wife.

All of a sudden, Ziva was struck with the worst pain she had ever felt. A sharp pain hit the left side of her abdomen and she felt as the pain traveled all the way down her left side, through her thighs, and all the way through her right side as well. She grabbed her stomach and doubled over in pain. Tony jumped up and rushed over to his wife as she balanced herself on her desk and lowered herself back into her chair.

"Call 911!" Tony exclaimed. McGee quickly grabbed his phone to make the call and Gibbs joined Tony at Ziva's desk. "Ziva..."

"Tony!" Ziva managed to call out. She raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth and Tony directed his eyes to where Ziva's were focused. Tony felt his heart plummet to his stomach when he looked at Ziva's pants and saw the one thing that he dreaded the most: blood.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, please remember to review! I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow. I'm also changing the rating because it gets rather mature rather quickly.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Enjoy..

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Ziva was sitting on a hospital bed with Tony beside her in a chair holding her hand. They had just lost the baby. Ziva sat staring blankly at the wall, not wanting to believe what she knew was true. Sure, she had known before the doctor had told her, but hearing it confirmed was more than she could take. Ziva knew she was miscarrying at work when she felt that sharp pain all throughout her body and saw the blood on her pants. In her mind, she knew there was no other explanation. So, she sat, staring at the wall, loosely holding her husband's hand, feeling lost and helpless. How could she have let this happen? She had been feeling worse than normal all day, and at the very first sign of pain, she _should_ have said something. Maybe if she had, she would still be carrying her son. Ziva felt her eyes burning as they refilled with tears and she tried to blink most of them back, knowing that if she let them escape, they would all start falling like a waterfall.

Tony was sitting in a chair beside Ziva's bed, loosely holding her hand, staring off into the distance as well. The blood had been a sure sign of what he feared the most, but he should have gotten Ziva to the hospital earlier. That morning, when Ziva had her migraine and felt more nauseous than normal, he should have just taken her to the doctor. Or when it continued at work. There was no reason for Tony to wait so long to take action, but he did. Because he didn't make Ziva go to the hospital earlier, they lost their son. But why wouldn't Ziva let him take her, knowing how bad she felt? Tony looked at Ziva, wondering how she could have hid her pain from him for so long, knowing it was affecting their baby. Ordinarily, Tony would agree that miscarriages were no ones fault, but in the case of their son, he blamed Ziva and himself for ignoring the warning signs and waiting for the miscarriage to happen at work.

There was a knock on the door and Gibbs and Abby entered. Tony dropped Ziva's hand as his coworkers came inside.

"Hey guys," Abby said nervously. She had no idea what to say to them. She and Gibbs stood silently for a moment, not knowing what to do or say. Abby looked over at Ziva and saw a lone tear trickle down her face. Abby rushed over and embraced her friend in a long, tight hug. As Ziva let her tears loose and cried on Abby's shoulder, Abby whispered soft encouragements in her ear.

"How are you doing?" Gibbs asked softly, walking closer to Tony who had stood from the chair. Tony shook his head.

"I don't know..." Tony's voice trailed off.

"It is just hard," Ziva was saying to Abby through her tears. "This morning, I was carrying our baby. Now I'm not. We will never meet him... I just do not know what to do."

"Aww, Ziva I can't imagine what you're going through right now," Abby said comfortingly. "But you know, a friend of mine has had a few miscarriages. She says that every time it happens, she tells herself that God is speaking to her, saying that He took the baby from her because something went wrong. Something would have been wrong with the baby, and He knew that, so to make the child suffer less, he ended its pain early. That's just what my friend says, and she finds comfort in it." Ziva nodded but did not respond.

"Well why would God taunt us with nearly five months of thinking we were going to have a baby before taking him away?" Tony asked, a hint of anger visible in his voice. Abby looked over at him from the hospital bed before rushing over to him and embracing him in another tight hug. Tony hugged her back, but Abby felt that it wasn't genuine. He wasn't going to open up to her and let her help, not yet anyway. She pulled away and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Tony, there was nothing you could have done," Abby said, tears forming in her own eyes. "Sometimes, these things just happen."

"No, Abby," Tony said quietly. "You're wrong." He knew that their son could have been saved, and Abby wasn't going to tell him otherwise. He shook his head and turned away from her. Knowing she wasn't getting anywhere with Tony, Abby went back over to Ziva to comfort her some more.

"Tony, I know this is hard for you, but don't beat yourself up too much over this," Gibbs said quietly. Abby and Ziva were having their own conversation. "Abby's right; you couldn't have prevented it."

"No, boss, I really think we could have," Tony replied, thinking back to how obvious it had been that Ziva had needed medical attention. Tony was wishing more than anything that either this was a dream that he could wake up from or that he could go back in time twelve hours and take Ziva to the hospital when she woke up. Knowing that neither could happen, Tony felt like a failure.

On Ziva's hospital bed, she and Abby were talking as well.

"I just cannot believe that yesterday, everything was perfect. Today, it is gone," Ziva said as her voice cracked. Abby offered a sympathetic smile and nodded.

"Me neither," she agreed. Abby was devastated that she would never meet her godson, but was being strong for her friends. They needed her, even though Tony wouldn't admit it yet.

"I do not know how we are going to move passed this," Ziva continued.

"Hey, don't say that. You and Tony love each other and you're both very strong people," Abby assured her. "It will be hard, but you two will overcome this."

"Really?" Ziva asked, not believing her. "We are in a hospital room crying. Tony has barely spoken to me, and right now it just feels like we are so distant." Ziva let a few more tears fall from her eyes.

"This came as a big shock for both of you," Abby reasoned. "Just be there for each other, and I'm sure he'll come around. You know he loves you." Ziva nodded.

"You know, I had pictured bringing Landon home for the first time. Rocking him, putting him to sleep in his nursery," Ziva's voice cracked, but she swallowed and continued. "I pictured his first Christmas, all of you meeting him, you playing with him. He was going to be so loved."

"He still is loved," Abby said gently. "Just because he isn't here doesn't mean you can't love him. The heart is pretty big, Ziva. It has a lot of room to share. Landon will always have a spot there as your first pregnancy, even though it wasn't a very happy ending." Ziva nodded.

"I know I will always love him, and so will Tony. I just wish we could have met him," Ziva said. "I wish everyone could have met him, and the three of us could have been a family, just like Tony and I had planned."

"I know you do," Abby said. "I wish that too. And Ziva I am so sorry that this happened."

"Thank you," Ziva choked out. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and the doctor entered.

"Hi Ziva," she said sympathetically. "I wanted to let you know that we will be keeping you over night to make sure that there were no complications or harm to yourself." Ziva nodded. "Your husband is more than welcome to stay overnight with you."

"Thank you, doctor," Ziva said quietly, signaling to the doctor that she could leave.

Tony stood, thinking about what the doctor had just said. He was more than welcome to stay overnight with Ziva in the hospital. He didn't want to stay with her in a hospital. It was going to be hard enough to see her every day at home, knowing she was no longer carrying his baby. He couldn't bare to stay with her overnight in the very hospital room where they had been told that they were not going to be parents. It would be too hard for him. Tony needed space; he needed time.

"Tony," Ziva said quietly. Tony looked at his wife, knowing what she wanted. "Will you stay here with me tonight?" He stared at her for a moment, looking at her tear-streamed cheeks and her big brown eyes. Ordinarily, he could lose himself in those eyes. They were always so inviting and full of life. Now, however, he saw nothing in them. They were empty. Although, they were pleading with him to stay. Tony shook his head.

"No," he said quietly. "No, I can't. Ziva, I love you, but I just can't."

As Tony turned and walked out of the room, Ziva, Abby, and Gibbs all stared after him, not believing what just happened. Tony had just walked away from his wife. Ziva felt like she had just gotten punched in the stomach. She had just lost her son, and now it felt like she was losing her husband too. She covered her mouth with one hand while tears started falling from both eyes. Abby wrapped her arms around her friend and let her cry again.

"It's okay, Ziva," Abby said soothingly.

"Why would he do that?" Ziva asked.

"He probably just needs some time to think," Abby replied. "He doesn't know how to handle it."

"Well neither do I," Ziva said. She sniffled and pulled away from Abby. "I thought he loved me..."

"He does," Abby said firmly. "Don't think that he doesn't, Ziva. He just needs some time alone. He'll come around. I promise." Ziva nodded.

"I'll go talk to him," Gibbs said gently. Ziva thanked him, and Gibbs left the hospital to talk to Tony, knowing exactly where to find him.

0-0-0

**A/N:** There's chapter 12. Please review and let me know what you thought!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing! I know I haven't been doing this for this particular story, but there are a couple of reviews I would like to address that question my credibility as an author on here and that suggest I am being lazy with this story. I want to share with you all that I did do research on this topic before writing about it. Ziva's miscarriage at work was based on my mother's miscarriage. Also, a friend of mine had a miscarriage when she was over 4 months pregnant, so I used the information she gave me along with some from the internet to fill in the rest of the details. Yes, I was aware when writing the previous couple chapters that at nearly 5 months pregnant, the fetus would need delivered. However, I just included the blood and then picked the story back up after the full miscarriage and delivery had happened because I thought having that gruesome and traumatic of a scene in my story would be too much. I know that I referenced the doctor telling them that Ziva had miscarried, which isn't unrealistic because after Ziva arrived at the hospital, at some point the doctor would have told her what was going on, even though she already knew. I chose not to include a scene of the actual miscarriage, but to leave it up to the readers to interpret however they wanted, based on their individual knowledge of miscarriages. Don't think that I'm being mean about this; I just thought that your reviews deserved a response and clarification. I did do my homework on this topic before just diving into it because I do take my writing seriously, and I will never handle a story in a lazy manner. I do hope that people continue reading this, regardless of the depressing storyline that has transpired.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Gibbs walked inside the bar in which he knew he would find Tony. Sure enough, his senior field agent was sitting on a bar stool with a beer in his hand. Gibbs walked over and sat on the stool next to him.

"I'm surprised it took you this long, boss," Tony said as Gibbs sat down.

"Well I figured I'd let you get a head start or two," Gibbs replied, gesturing toward the beer.

"Three," Tony corrected. Gibbs nodded as Tony took a drink.

"What are you doing?" Gibbs asked. Tony shook his head. "Your wife just had a miscarriage, and your decision on how to handle that is by walking out and going straight to a bar? That's not the Tony DiNozzo I know. Why aren't you at that hospital with Ziva?"

"You know boss, sometimes when something like this happens, you find out some things about people you never knew about," Tony replied. He then added quietly, "Sometimes, you find out things about yourself, too."

"Like what? Something bad happens so you turn your back on your wife and go grab a beer?" Gibbs said, getting annoyed by Tony's behavior. Tony shook his head.

"I'm not turning my back on anyone," he said. Gibbs stared at him incredulously.

"Really, then where is your wife while you're sitting here?" he asked.

"Come on boss," Tony began. "You can't...I just...I couldn't stay in that hospital."

"You think it's easy for Ziva?" Gibbs asked. "Because I can tell you it's not." Tony was silent for a moment.

"Did you come down here to try and make me feel guilty about leaving the hospital?" he finally asked. Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"No, Tony, I didn't," he replied. "I came down here because you don't need to be alone right now."

"Yes I do," Tony said quietly, staring at the top of the bar.

"You're blaming yourself," Gibbs stated. Tony nodded.

"Wouldn't you?" he asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"No, I wouldn't," he replied. "Tony, this was tragic, but sometimes tragedies happen. They can't be explained, and they're no ones' fault. This was not your fault." Tony shook his head again, not listening to what Gibbs was saying, and believing completely the opposite.

"Boss, I just feel like there's something I could have done," he admitted. "When Ziva wasn't feeling well, I could have taken her to the doctor."

"That wasn't your fault. She was pregnant; there were a lot of days she didn't feel well," Gibbs explained.

"When it continued throughout work I could have taken her," Tony continued.

"She didn't tell you it had continued," Gibbs pointed out.

"But I should have known," Tony argued.

"Why?" Gibbs asked. "Why should you have just known?"

"Because our son could still be alive," Tony replied angrily. He knew that everything he said, Gibbs would find a way to tell him he was wrong.

"Tony, listen to me," Gibbs said. Tony turned and locked eyes with his boss. "This was horrible, but there was nothing you or anyone could have done to stop it. It was not your fault."

Tony did not respond. He just stared straight at the bar, burning a hole into it with his gaze. He felt like a part of him had been stolen. He would never get the chance to meet his son, to play with his son, to teach anything to his son. Tony was still struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

"We lost our baby, boss," he said quietly. "And we'll never be able to have him back." Gibbs nodded sympathetically.

"That's right. You _both_ lost the baby," Gibbs said. "You _and_ Ziva. You know you still have her, right? You and Ziva are going to have to deal with this, and you're going to need to be there for each other, with each other throughout the entire thing." Tony kept staring ahead of him. He didn't know how to convey his feelings properly to Gibbs. He took a deep breath before attempting to do so.

"Ziva and I were so excited to be having this baby," he began. Gibbs was listening intently. "She glowed, boss. She looked so beautiful, and I knew that every time I looked at her, I was looking at her and the baby. We were ready to become parents. But then, it was taken away from us. Now, that child that she was carrying, _our_ child, she isn't carrying him anymore. We'll never meet him. He'll never breathe a breath of air, or have a first cry, or have a chance to live at all. He's gone. And as much as I love Ziva, and I _do_ love her, I just don't know how I'm going to be able to handle seeing her every day without being reminded of this." Gibbs nodded understandingly.

"I get where you're coming from," he said. "But how do you think Ziva feels? She was looking forward to the same things you were. You two shared all those feelings you just told me about. What you saw when you looked at her, she saw when she looked in a mirror. She saw herself _and_ the baby. And now, it's just her again. Tony, the baby was inside of her for almost five months, and now it's gone. _You_ can run away from her and drink your pain away and not have to look at her. But Ziva can't escape knowing that her first baby died inside of her."

Tony sat in silence, letting Gibbs' words sink in. He knew that Ziva was suffering just as much, if not moreso, than he himself was. But he also knew how responsible he felt for what had happened. No matter what Gibbs said, Tony couldn't get rid of the feeling of guilt he had, illogical as it may be. He couldn't think of Ziva without the pain of their situation setting in. He closed his eyes, trying to remove Ziva's image from his mind and took another drink.

"That won't make it go away," Gibbs said. Tony ignored him.

"I don't know what to do, boss," Tony said honestly. Gibbs sighed.

"You could start by not shutting your wife out," Gibbs replied. "She needs you. You really hurt her by leaving tonight." Tony cringed when Gibbs said that. It hurt Tony to know that he had caused Ziva more pain. He hadn't really meant to hurt her, but he had to leave.

"I don't know how to do this," Tony said. "I really do love her, but I don't think I can be around her without the pain."

"You won't be able to. At least not for a while," Gibbs replied honestly. "But you seem to keep forgetting that she feels this pain too."

"No, I know that," Tony said.

"You're a good man, Tony," Gibbs said as he stood from the bar. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I think you'll do the right thing." Tony didn't respond, and Gibbs left the bar.

Tony was left alone with his thoughts. Was he being selfish? Was his behavior normal for someone who had just lost a child? There couldn't possibly be "normal" behavior for such an event. In one day, he had lost his son, and had hurt his wife. Tony was so confused by what he was feeling. He knew he loved Ziva, but he felt as though he couldn't stand to be around her without feeling the pain. Gibbs had tried to help, but Tony was still at a loss at how to cope. He knew being around Ziva would be hard, but he decided he had to try. After all, he still loved her, and he didn't want to risk their marriage. Feeling completely helpless, Tony put his forehead in his hands and tried to clear his mind of everything. With Ziva and Landon on his mind, he felt his eyes begin to burn as tears threatened to surface. He fought them back, determined to stay strong. Gibbs had said he thought Tony would do the right thing. What was the right thing? Surely, Gibbs had meant go back to the hospital to be with Ziva. Tony thought about that idea, but he knew there was no way he could do that. At least not that night. He sighed and rubbed his temples. With nothing else in mind of what to do, Tony ordered another beer and tried even harder to forget about the pain he was in.

Meanwhile, at the hospital Abby was still sitting with Ziva who had not been feeling any better. After losing her son, she had endured Tony leaving her after she had asked him to stay. She was hurt and scared by that. Ziva knew that Tony didn't handle his emotions well. Her mind instantly played back to how Tony had handled Jenny's death, which he had also initially thought he was responsible for. Ziva did not want this to be a replay of that. She wanted her husband to be there with her and was sad that he wasn't. Ziva's heart jumped as the doorknob turned. She was hoping to see Tony enter.

"I'm back," Gibbs said as he closed the door behind him. Ziva felt disappointed to see that her husband was not with their boss.

"Did you find him?" she asked.

"Yes," Gibbs replied.

"And?" Ziva asked, urging him to continue. Gibbs sighed.

"Give him time," he said. Ziva sighed, knowing that Tony was probably reusing his previous coping method.

"Did you talk to him?" she asked. Gibbs nodded.

"I did," he replied.

"What did he have to say for himself?" Ziva asked. Gibbs thought for a moment about how to word his response correctly.

"He really cares about you, Ziva," he began. "But he's being selfish right now. Just give him some time to himself. He'll come around."

"Why do people keep saying that?" Ziva asked, annoyed. "I do not want to give him time to himself. I want him to be here with me. This is where he is supposed to be. We are supposed to be in this together." Gibbs nodded his agreement.

"Talk to him tomorrow," he suggested. Ziva sighed, very frustrated. That morning when she woke up with a migraine, she had never imagine what the day was going to transpire into. Yesterday, she had a loving husband, was living a nearly perfect life, and had a baby on the way. Today, she had lost her baby, her life was becoming more and more complicated, and her husband was more distant than ever. Sitting in that hospital bed, Ziva had never felt more alone in her life.

0-0-0

**A/N:** There's chapter 13. I hope you enjoyed it, and there will be more soon.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews! They are very much appreciated :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Ziva was lying in bed, wide awake. It was going on midnight on her third night back at her apartment. She was off work because of what had happened. Gibbs had also told Tony to take a few days to get himself back together before returning to work. Ziva had hoped that over the few days that Tony would be home with her, they could try healing together. She had been hopeful the day she left the hospital. Tony had shown up and driven her home. They hadn't talked much, and he would barely look at her, but he was at least there. At home, there was a lot of silence that day. Ziva had spent most of the day in bed, and Tony had spent it on the couch staring blankly at the television. That night, Tony had laid down in bed next to her, but it hadn't been right. He didn't cuddle with her or hold her at all. He had just laid there. Ziva had woken up at about one in the morning to find his half of the bed empty. She had gotten up and saw him sleeping on the couch in the living room. The next night, he had done the same thing; laid with her until she went to sleep, then slept on the couch. This night, the third night, he had yet to even come into the bedroom. Ziva was beginning to wonder if he even would at all.

She laid in bed alone and let her mind wander to a time when life was better. She remembered when her relationship with Tony had been fun and loving. They had done everything together and would have done anything for each other. They were completely in love. Ziva thought back to their movie nights and dinners together and their nights of passion in bed. She thought of everything about their relationship that she missed and was aching for. Her eyes began to burn as tears surfaced again as she wondered if their relationship would ever go back to the way she remembered it. Losing Landon had, hands down, been the most traumatic and heart-breaking experience of either Tony or Ziva's life, but she had expected them to cope with each other and move forward together. Ziva knew that Tony was blaming himself, and it hurt her that he wouldn't open up to her. She had tried opening up to him. He hadn't interrupted, but Ziva wasn't sure if he had actually listened to what she had said. He had barely contributed to the conversation.

Ziva rolled over and watched the moonlight through the blinds on the window. She wondered if it was possible that Landon's baby spirit was looking down at her from lightyears away. A sad smile crossed her face as she felt her son's closeness and wished she could have met him in person. She missed feeling him inside of her. Without her baby, she felt empty inside. The only person who could really help her through was her baby's father.

"We miss you, Landon," Ziva whispered to the moonlight. "Please watch over your daddy, and help him come around sooner." She knew she was asking a lot, but she needed Tony.

For a moment, Ziva closed her eyes and rolled onto her back. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep without Tony in bed with her. Even if he didn't stay the whole night, being alone made the bed feel so cold. She hated being in that room without him. Ziva sighed and sat up, determined to talk to her husband. She got out of bed and walked to the living room where she found Tony, just as she had expected. He was sitting on the couch staring at the television, but he wasn't watching it. Slowly, Ziva crossed the room to the couch and stood at the end of it, waiting to see if Tony would look up at her or say anything. He didn't.

"It is getting late," Ziva said. "Are you going to come to bed?"

"I'm not tired," Tony replied. Ziva sat on the couch next to him.

"You have slept out here for the past two nights," she said. Tony sighed and rested his head against the back of the couch.

"I know," he replied. Ziva studied him for a moment. She could tell that Tony was beating himself up and needed to talk.

"You know we are in this together," she began. "I want us to be able to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? What happened, happened," Tony said, but he knew he didn't even believe his own words. He was too confused.

"Will you at least tell me what you are feeling right now? Because I am sure that I can relate," Ziva suggested. Tony sighed.

"Ziva, I love you, but it is hard for me to see you every day and know that you're no longer carrying our baby," he began honestly. Ziva felt tears well up in her eyes, worried about where her husband was going with this. "Right now, I just can't fall asleep in the bed where he was conceived." Ziva exhaled, understanding his point.

"I know it is hard," she said. "Believe me, it is the hardest thing I have ever been through. But I need to know that we are not shutting each other out. We need to deal with this together, not separately. Can I at least sleep on the couch with you?"

Tony sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at the ground. He didn't want to keep hurting Ziva, but being in the apartment for too long made him feel almost trapped. He stood up. Ziva followed him with her eyes and wondered what he was going to do.

"I'm going to go for a walk and get some fresh air," he said. Ziva held her breath, waiting for him to ask her to join him. He didn't. "I'll come to bed when I get back." Ziva nodded and Tony left the apartment.

Ziva leaned back against the couch. At least Tony had _started_ to talk about his feelings. She knew they were starting to get somewhere. Her only wish was that they could actually have a full conversation about what they were both feeling. Ziva sighed and a tear rolled down her cheek. She shook her head and picked up her cell phone. She knew Tony wouldn't be back for at least an hour, and she wanted someone to talk to. She called one person who she knew would listen to her talk.

"Hi, Abby," Ziva said after her friend had answered the phone. Ziva told Abby that Tony had gone for a walk and she didn't want to be alone. Abby told her she would be right over. Ziva hung up and put her phone down and waited. She waited for her friend to come over. She waited for her husband to come back. She just waited for her life to show some sign of getting better.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, there's chapter 14. According to the outline I have right now, I only planned 20 chapters, but I think I'm going to redo the ending and make it longer...meaning, more of the story! Opinions? Okay, well I hope you enjoyed, and remember to review!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Hello all :) I sincerely apologize for leaving this story for 3 days! I've been so busy and stressed out, but I'm back with chapter 15! Also, since I'm really appreciating the reviews and alerts, I'm going to see about rewriting my outline and try to make it as long as I can (meaning more than the originally planned 20 chapters). Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews and alerts! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Abby quickly wiped her face down as she approached the door to Tony and Ziva's apartment. She didn't want Ziva to notice that she had cried on the drive over. Abby cared so much about Tony and Ziva, and she was devastated when they lost her godson. The fact that Tony was being so difficult also hurt Abby because she knew how hard of a time Ziva was having. Abby was frustrated with the whole situation, but she knew she had to be strong for Ziva. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Hi," Ziva said quietly as she opened the door. "Come on." Abby entered the apartment and immediately wrapped Ziva in a warm hug after she closed the door. Ziva accepted this embrace and hugged her friend back for a moment.

"Come sit down," Ziva offered. She looked at her living room and noticed what a mess she and Tony had let it become. Ziva was embarrassed for Abby to see it. "Actually, how about we talk in my room." Abby agreed politely with Ziva's suggestion and the two women proceeded into Tony and Ziva's bedroom. They sat on the bed and were silent for a moment, both staring at the bedspread.

"So, what happened tonight?" Abby asked gently, breaking the silence. Ziva took a deep, jagged breath and rolled her eyes up, clearly trying to hold back tears. She silently cursed herself, wondering just how many tears there could possibly be left in her body.

"I tried to get him to talk to me," she began. Abby leaned in to listen. "We had maybe a three minute discussion. Then he got up and said he needed fresh air and would be back later. Then he left." Ziva's voice caught at the end of her last sentence, but Abby acted as though she didn't notice.

"Ziva, I'm sorry he's being like this, but I really do think he'll come around," Abby assured her, although she was starting to question herself now. Ziva shook her head and offered a sad smile.

"I have been telling myself that because that is what everyone has been telling me," she said. "Abby, what if we never get passed this?"

"Well," Abby began, not sure of how to answer her friend's question. She looked at Ziva who was staring at her with pleading eyes. She was just looking for comfort. "You won't have to worry about that. I know you'll get passed this. You're strong people; you're a strong couple. Tony just doesn't know how to handle it so he's shutting you out. In his mind, I'm sure he thinks he's protecting you and himself."

"Well he most certainly is not," Ziva pointed out bitterly. "I know that this is a hard situation. No one has to tell me that. In case anyone has forgotten, I am the one who delivered a dead baby." Ziva's voice caught again and this time a couple of tears escaped. Abby rubbed Ziva's back in comfort.

"It's okay," she said soothingly. "I know, I can't imagine how hard this is for you."

"It would be a bit more bearable if my husband would be there for me," Ziva said. "That is all I want. I want us to get through this together. We took vows, didn't we? This should not be too much to ask of him."

"I completely agree," Abby replied. "I'm sorry, I know you're tired of hearing this, but Tony just needs time."

"He has had time. Now it is time for him to be there for me. I love him, Abby, but if this continues, I do not know how much longer I can put up with it," Ziva said, shaking her head. Abby's heart started racing a bit.

"Ziva, you don't mean that," she said.

"Yes I do," Ziva replied. "I am already enduring a lot of pain from losing my son. This situation with Tony is just adding to it. Even _I_ can only take so much before I break. I do not think I can handle if Tony walks out on me again."

"Yeah, he needs to stop doing that," Abby thought out loud. "But come on Ziva, I'm sure once you two get to talking, you'll pull through this together."

"Abby, that is what I have been waiting for," Ziva said. "But he does not seem to want any part of it."

"Maybe this walk will give him time to clear his head," Abby suggested. "I'm sure talking to him when he gets back will be more effective." Ziva was shaking her head in disagreement.

"He is not on a walk," she stated matter-of-factly. "He went to a bar again. He has been gone for over an hour. I guarantee when he comes home, he will be drunk. That seems to be his way of coping." The bitterness in Ziva's voice frightened Abby. Tony and Ziva's marriage needed to be saved; it couldn't continue to fall apart like this.

"Ziva, I-"

"It does not help matters that Tony thinks he and I are responsible for the miscarriage," Ziva continued. Abby studied Ziva's face for a moment.

"_You_ don't think that too, do you?" Abby asked. Ziva sighed and looked away but did not answer for a couple moments.

"I think that had we handled the situation differently, we could still have our son," she replied. "I genuinely believe that."

"No, Ziva, everything happens for a reason," Abby said.

"Yes, I felt strangely all day for a _reason_. Something was wrong with the baby," Ziva replied. "I stupidly ignored that."

"Ziva, the bottom line is that it was no one's fault," Abby said firmly. "I understand yours and Tony's viewpoints, but really, there was nothing you could have done. Sadly, we can't go back in time and fix things, and beating yourselves up over it isn't going to change that."

"I know," Ziva sighed. Knowing that what Abby said was true didn't change Ziva's feeling of guilt though. She felt as though she would always feel guilty deep down about losing Landon.

"It's almost two in the morning," Abby observed after looking at the clock on Ziva's nightstand.

"Yeah," Ziva sighed. "Tony will probably be home soon. Drunk."

"Maybe somebody should try talking to him about his behavior and coping methods," Abby suggested. Ziva shrugged.

"If there is anybody who can get Tony to talk, more power to them," she said. Moments later, Abby and Ziva heard someone fumbling to put a key in the apartment door. A moment later, it opened.

"He's home," Abby stated. Tony slammed the door a bit harder than necessary, and Ziva and Abby heard him stumble into the living room, knocking into a side table, and plop onto the couch.

"And he is drunk," Ziva added. "Just like I thought."

"I'm sorry, Ziva," Abby sighed and offered a sad smile.

"There is nothing you can do," Ziva replied sadly. "But thank you for coming over tonight."

"Anytime," Abby promised. She gave Ziva a hug and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Abby stood in the hallway for a moment wondering what she should do. In the bedroom behind her, Ziva was lying alone in bed yearning for her husband, and in the living room in front of her, Tony was sitting on the couch after drowning his misery in alcohol. Abby was caught in the middle of two of her friends who needed help. She knew she needed to take action, but she feared making the situation worse. Just then, she heard a small sob from beyond the door behind her, showing her that Ziva was crying again. Abby knew she needed to try and talk some sense into Tony. She couldn't let him keep destroying his wife like this. Abby took a deep breath and entered the living room. She walked over to the couch and stood next to Tony. He looked up at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"May I sit down?" Abby asked, ignoring his question. Tony looked at her questioningly for a moment but then gestured to the spot next to him on the couch. Abby sat down.

"What's up?" Tony asked. Abby could smell the alcohol on Tony's breath and disapproved internally.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said.

"Whaddya mean?" Tony asked, confused.

"Where did you go tonight?" Abby asked.

"Out," Tony replied with a shrug.

"You told Ziva you were going on a walk to get some fresh air," Abby stated.

"I did for on a walk," Tony defended himself.

"A walk to the bar doesn't count," Abby spat. "Tony, do you realize what you're doing to her?"

"Oh, here we go again," Tony sighed and leaned against the back of the couch. Abby looked at him incredulously.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"You're going to preach to me about how I need to spend more time with Ziva," Tony replied. "I've heard it from Gibbs, I've heard it from Ziva herself, I don't need it from you too." Abby could feel the fury burning inside of her. She knew that people often said things drunk they wouldn't normally say sober, but she feared that these selfish feelings Tony was displaying may be for real.

"I think you _do_ need to hear it from me," Abby countered. "Tony, you are being extremely selfish right now."

"I just lost my son," he said defensively.

"So did your wife," Abby reminded him firmly. "And this isn't any easier for her."

"Why do people keep telling me that?" Tony asked. "I know it isn't easy."

"Then why are you leaving her alone?" Abby asked. "You are acting like you're the only one hurting right now."

"She's not alone," Tony replied. "She has you. She can talk to you all she wants, obviously."

"Yes that's true," Abby agreed. "She does have me. I am _there_ for her. But she _needs_ you to be there for her too. There's really only so much I can do or say. You can actually relate to her." Tony shook his head and looked down. He suddenly got up and walked to the kitchen. He came back with a beer in his hand and popped it open before sitting back down. Abby shook her head.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" she asked.

"What?" Tony asked after taking a drink.

"That won't help you," Abby said gesturing toward his drink. "You can't change anything."

"I know," Tony said quietly. He studied the drink in his hand for a moment before downing half of it in one gulp. Abby shook her head.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"You wouldn't understand," Tony replied quietly, staring at the ground. Abby knew the alcohol was really setting in; she wasn't sure how much he had drank when he was out. She knew that shortly, she would be able to get Tony to really open up to her, even if it would just be the alcohol talking.

"Try me," she offered. Tony shook his head.

"I have tried to deal with this," he began. Tony was then silent for a long while.

"Do you think drinking will solve anything?" Abby finally asked. "Because it won't bring your son back, and it won't save your marriage." Tony was silent again for a long while, and Abby began fearing that he had drank too much and was going to be sick. Finally, he spoke.

"I know it won't permanently fix anything. But just for the night, it takes the pain away, and I can just forget everything," Tony explained quietly. Abby felt her heart hurting inside her chest and she wanted to just reach out and hug Tony.

"This isn't the way to go about it though," she said gently. "I know facing this is hard, but talking about things really helps, and it actually fixes more in the long run."

"I never imagined any of this happening," Tony said, still staring at the ground. "I'm supposed to be the man of the house...the protector...I couldn't even get my wife to the goddamned hospital."

"It wasn't your fault," Abby assured him.

"Everyone keeps telling me that," Tony said.

"Because it's the truth," Abby replied. "And you're right, you are the man of the house. And you know what? You're wife is in that bedroom right now crying and feeling hopeless because she can't even have a ten minute conversation with you."

"I know," Tony said quietly. "I know that I hurt her. And believe me, that hurts me too."

"Then why do you do it?" Abby asked. Tony let out a deep breath, and Abby smelled the rush of alcohol fill her nostrils.

"I don't know," he replied. Abby studied him for a moment before carefully asking her next question.

"Tony, do you love her?" she asked. Tony snapped his gaze over to Abby.

"Of course I do," he replied.

"Then go to her," Abby said. "Hug her, hold her, sleep with her, _talk_ to her."

"That's easier said than done, Abbs," Tony sighed.

"I don't like this you," Abby thought out loud. Tony looked her way, slightly offended. "I never saw this behavior coming from you. Suck it up and talk to her. Make a movie reference, give me a smile. Something! Give me something to work with so I know you're going to be okay."

"I wish I could, Abby," Tony said.

"Yeah, I wish you could too," Abby said quietly. There was a long silence, and Abby knew the conversation was over. She reached out and gave Tony a long hug before standing to leave. When she reached the apartment door, she looked back and saw Tony lay down on the couch. She sighed, knowing Ziva would be sleeping alone for yet another night. As Abby left, she prayed that she had gotten through to Tony. He needed to come around soon. His and Ziva's marriage depended on it.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I gave you a longer chapter to make up for my absence :) I hope you liked it. Tony finally opened up a bit! Well, review, and I'll update tomorrow!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thanks a lot for all the reviews and alerts :) Everyone seems to be hating on Tony haha..which is understandable. Well, enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

The next evening, Tony was walking down the street downtown. Ziva had been taking a nap when he left, so he didn't have to see that hurt in her eyes when he walked away from her again. As he walked, he looked around, taking in his surroundings. The breeze swirled some dead, crinkly leaves around on the sidewalk, and the streetlights shone in the dusk air. Tony looked across the street and saw a happy couple pushing their baby in a stroller. He sighed, instantly remembering that that should be him and Ziva in a few months. But it wouldn't be. When he looked straight ahead, he saw that he was approaching his usual bar. He sighed and wondered how it was that he always ended up there. Tony was unsure of whether or not he was going to go inside tonight; he had been rather hungover all day from the previous night. As he got nearer, he noticed the silhouette of a man leaning against the corner of the building. Tony kept walking until he was face-to-face with the man. To his surprise, it was Gibbs.

"Boss," Tony greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Gibbs said. Tony nodded and allowed Gibbs to lead down the street. They walked in silence until they came to a nearby park where they sat on a bench.

"How did you know where to find me?" Tony asked after a moment had passed. Gibbs sighed.

"Something in my gut told me that's where you were headed," he replied.

"You know, I hadn't even decided if I was going in or not," Tony mentioned.

"You may not think you had decided, but you had," Gibbs replied. He was then silent, and Tony sat wondering what was going to happen and why his boss had taken him there.

"So, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"We're going to talk," Gibbs began. "And we're not leaving until you straighten your act up." Tony sighed and shook his head. 'Abby,' he thought.

"Look, boss, I know Abby probably told you all about last night, but this is something that I just need to fight through," Tony said.

"Well you're right," Gibbs said. Tony felt shocked, hearing someone actually agree with him. "And you're wrong." Tony sighed. He had known there was a catch. "Abby did tell me about last night. But you don't need to fight through this alone. You have people who would be there for you if you would let them."

"How can they be there for me? They don't know what I'm going through," Tony pointed out.

"Ziva does," Gibbs replied.

"Yeah," Tony muttered and looked at the ground. He thought about how much extra pain he had added to the pain she was already in, and deep down he felt embarrassed about it.

"Tony," Gibbs began and waited until Tony looked up at him. "I am sorry that you two lost the baby, but you have been acting extremely selfish, and enough is enough. If you still care about your wife, you need to stop acting like this."

"I know that. It's been pointed out to me multiple times," Tony replied. "And I've tried. But it gets too hard for me."

"The hell you've tried," Gibbs retorted. "You haven't tried hard enough. Trying is not walking out of the hospital when you're both under the initial shock. Trying is not ignoring your wife's pain. And trying sure as hell isn't going out and getting drunk while your wife is home alone, depressed, and wishing she could count on her husband. Now, if you try, really try, yes it will be hard. I know that. But you two can't move forward until you get your head out of your ass and act like the man I know you are." Tony stared at the ground for a long while, not believing that Gibbs was being as harsh and straight-forward as he was. Tony couldn't think of anything the reply with, because deep down, he knew Gibbs was right, even if he wasn't ready to admit it.

"I'm not good at sharing my feelings," Tony said lamely. Gibbs let out an irritated chuckle and sat in silence again.

"In case you've forgotten," Gibbs began finally. "I know what it's like to lose a child." Tony looked over at Gibbs. Gibbs very rarely ever mentioned Kelly.

"Well yeah, boss, but really, you at least got to spend eight years with her," Tony pointed out. Gibbs nodded.

"You're right, I did. They were eight fantastic years. But I really don't know if that made it easier or harder," he replied. "On one hand, I got to spend eight years with a terrific little girl, and I'll always have memories of her. On the other hand, I live every day knowing that the little girl I raised for eight years will never grow up, finish school, and have a life of her own. But there's something else you're forgetting."

"What's that?" Tony asked.

"When I lost my daughter, I lost my wife too," Gibbs replied. "You still have Ziva...for now."

"What do you mean by that?" Tony asked, instantly concerned. Gibbs gave Tony a very serious look.

"You really don't think she's just going to wait around forever do you?" Gibbs asked.

"Well," Tony stuttered. "I mean, if she loves me, she will, right?" Gibbs shook his head.

"I can tell you she really does love you," he replied. "And you're lucky. If she didn't love you so much, there's no way she would still be around putting up with your shit. But even with the strongest love, there's only so much any person can take before they have to just walk away."

Tony looked at the ground and lost himself in his thoughts. The idea of Ziva leaving him had never crossed his mind. For some reason, he had assumed that when he went home, she would always be there. He knew that he was pushing her, but Ziva had never even hinted to him anything about wanting to leave. Would he be able to handle it if Ziva left him?

"Well she knows I love her," Tony said and turned back to Gibbs. "I told her that."

"You may tell her you love her, and she may even know that you mean it, but right now, she isn't feeling it," Gibbs replied. Tony thought for a moment. How did Gibbs know so well what Ziva was thinking and feeling?

"Has Ziva talked to you?" he asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Not yet anyway. From what Abby and McGee have been telling me, it probably was going to happen in the near future." Tony became even more concerned. Ziva wouldn't tell Gibbs personal feelings she was having about her marriage unless it was very serious. Then, the reality of what Gibbs said began to sink in.

"Wait, McGee?" Tony asked. Gibbs nodded. "I thought she just talked to Abby."

"Well, she talks to Abby a lot," Gibbs replied. "But she wants a man's viewpoint too. Since she can't talk to you, McGee was the next man she turned too."

"Does she talk to him often?" Tony asked.

"Not as often as she talks to Abby, but every now and then. McGee tells me about it, and it seems like he's been helping her a lot to deal with the pain and even trying to explain your behavior from his own view," Gibbs replied.

"She talks to him about me?" Tony asked.

"Yes she does," Gibbs replied.

"Wow," Tony whispered and began feeling more hurt and confused. He knew that Ziva and McGee were friends, but he never imagined Ziva actually turning to him with her feelings. Tony felt a lump in his throat when he thought about another man comforting his wife. How could McGee be there for Ziva more than he himself was?

"Tony," Gibbs said softly. "Ziva needs someone right now. She feels lost, confused, alone...basically what you're feeling too. She _wants_ you to provide the love and security that she needs, and if you don't step up and give it to her, she'll find somebody else who will." Tony's mind began racing and trying to process what Gibbs was telling him.

"You don't think...not McGee? She wouldn't," he stammered. Ziva wasn't even attracted to McGee. She wouldn't leave Tony for him.

"You're right. Probably not McGee," Gibbs agreed. "But someone. Ziva's an attractive woman, and she's vulnerable right now. If she gets ahold of a man who will be there for her... All I'm saying is you'd better get your act together and be there for her."

"I do love her," Tony said almost defensively.

"I believe you," Gibbs said. "But you need to convince her of that, not me. If you don't go to her soon, I wouldn't hold your breath on her sticking around too much longer."

Shortly thereafter, Gibbs left for the night and Tony was alone with his thoughts. Ever since they had lost Landon, people had been telling Tony to open up and to be there with Ziva. He never thought that their marriage had actually depended on it. Tony thought of how stupid he must have been to actually believe someone as strong and independent as Ziva would wait around forever while he shut her out. As he was sitting on that bench thinking things through, he felt tears begin falling from his eyes. He began picturing his life without Ziva. The apartment would be so empty. _He_ would be so empty. Tony knew that Ziva needed a man to be there for her, and he couldn't picture anyone but him being that man. He knew what he had to do. It had taken Gibbs being blunt about what was sure to happen for Tony to finally realize it, but he knew what he had to do. Tony took a deep breath and stood from the bench and headed back toward his apartment, praying there was still hope for him and Ziva and that he wasn't too late.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews :) Keep reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Ziva placed the shirt she had just folded into the suitcase lying on her bed. She had gotten off the phone with Abby ten minutes ago, and Abby had told Ziva she could stay with her as long as she needed until she figured out what was going on with her and Tony's marriage. That day, Ziva had woken up to an empty apartment. She didn't know where Tony was or when he planned on returning, she just knew that he wasn't there and hadn't been. Heartbroken, Ziva had called Abby, looking for any form of help. Ziva didn't want to actually leave Tony because she knew that they could be happy together. However, until Tony opened his eyes and started acting like her husband again, Ziva couldn't take living with him anymore. The pain and tension in the apartment was too much. So, Ziva had decided to stay with Abby until Tony came to his senses.

With a sigh, Ziva turned her back to the open suitcase and made a quick glance around her bedroom, checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything that she needed. She then walked into the living room and kitchen, just to check everything quickly. Ziva proceeded back into the hallway and walked to the bathroom, checking she hadn't forgotten any toiletries. After turning the bathroom light back off, Ziva turned to head back to her bedroom, but she caught sight of something that made her stop in her tracks. Ziva stood facing the closed door that led to the baby nursery. Could she really leave home without looking inside that room one last time? There was no telling how long she'd be gone, after all. Ziva took a deep breath and hesitantly opened the door to the nursery. She stood in the doorway taking in the scene of the dark room. The baby blue walls and happy decorations were just as she remembered them. Ziva hadn't entered the nursery since losing Landon; she hadn't been able to bring herself to. As she looked around the room, she was reminded of nothing but happy memories. Her mind drifted back to the days of shopping and decorating that room. She even remembered all the way back to the day in Abby's lab when she took the pregnancy test. That's when everything had started.

With another sigh, Ziva slowly entered the nursery without turning on the light. She walked across the room to the crib in the corner and smiled as she remembered the day Tony had built it. Her smile faded when reality reminded her that her son would never sleep in it. Ziva walked back into the middle of the room and turned in a slow circle, taking in the sight of everything that Landon would never use. The crib, the changing station, the closet, the dresser, the toys. Ziva walked over to the rocking chair that she was supposed to use to rock her son in and picked up a teddy bear that was sitting on it. Tears began to rim her eyes as she softly ran her fingers through its fur. She carried the teddy bear back to the middle of the room and sat on the floor, holding the bear close to her body. Ziva couldn't believe that her baby could never enjoy everything that was inside the nursery. More tears fell, and she didn't even try holding them back. Ziva sat, remembering Landon, remembering Tony, remembering when she was happy. While she was holding that teddy bear and just remembering, all she could do was cry.

Meanwhile, Tony had reached the apartment building and was standing outside the door to his and Ziva's apartment. He wasn't locked out, but he didn't know what to do once opening the door. So, he just stood, looking at the door, wondering what to do. What should he say? How should he start? Should he just apologize over and over? Should he just let Ziva do the talking? He couldn't think of how to start the conversation. So much had happened that needed to be addressed, and Tony still wasn't even sure if he would feel comfortable sharing his feelings with Ziva. He shook his head and leaned with his back against the wall when suddenly the woman who lived next door to them came out of her apartment. She was in her late fifties to early sixties and was one of the sweetest women Tony and Ziva had met.

"Hello," she greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Hi, Janice," Tony replied without making eye contact.

"Is something wrong?" Janice asked, a frown forming on her face. Tony chuckled inwardly. He couldn't even begin to answer that question.

"If you only knew," he muttered. Janice looked from Tony to the door and back again.

"Are you locked out?" she asked. Tony shook his head.

"No," he replied.

"Well then what is it?" she asked again. Tony sighed.

"Ziva and I are having...problems," he replied vaguely. Janice gave him a knowing look. She had known about the miscarriage and had seen Tony coming and going quite often, but she didn't really know details.

"I see," she said. "And you're wanting to fix these problems?"

"Well...of course I want to fix them, but it feels like I started all of them," Tony replied. He was shocked by how much he was admitting to not only Janice, but also to himself. "I don't know what to do."

"Is she in there?" Janice asked. Tony nodded. "Then just go in. Go to her. Just hug her and tell her you're sorry."

"I wish it were that easy," Tony said.

"It can be," Janice smiled. Tony shook his head.

"It's more complicated than that," he replied. "Ever since the miscarriage, I've been...well, I..."

"You don't have to explain anything," Janice said, shaking her head. "You and Ziva know what's going on, and no one else needs to."

"I just don't know what to say to her," Tony admitted.

"Standing out here won't solve that problem," Janice said. "Go inside and be with her. You'll know what to say. It'll come to you."

"You think so?" Tony asked. He didn't want to risk saying something to Ziva that would make their situation even worse than it was, if that was even possible.

"I do," Janice smiled. Her smile was reassuring, and Tony noticed a small twinkle in the woman's green eyes. He felt assured and decided to trust her.

"Thanks, Janice," he said and turned toward his apartment door.

"No problem," Janice smiled again. "Good luck." She then proceeded down the hall and disappeared from sight. Tony took a deep breath and opened the door, expecting to see Ziva sitting on the couch.

When he entered the apartment and closed the door, he was shocked by what he saw. It was dark; all the lights were off. Ziva was not in the living room, but she had been. The room was spotless. When Tony had left earlier that day, it had still been a bit of a mess. He walked into the kitchen. Maybe Ziva was at the kitchen table. Tony entered and saw that she wasn't there either. He began to worry. Had Ziva cleaned the place up and left? What if what Gibbs had warned him of had just happened and Tony was too late? Tony's heart began to race in panic as he headed toward the hallway.

"Ziva?" he called out. There was no answer.

Tony saw light under the door of their bedroom and quickly opened the door.

"Ziva?" he asked as he entered. No one.

Instantly, Tony's eyes found the suitcase lying on the bed. His heart plummeted to his stomach. Ziva really was leaving. That's why she had cleaned the home up, and that's why he couldn't find her. But where was she? Tony walked inside, feeling numb, and stood next to the bed, staring at the suitcase. It had finally come down to this. Tony had never thought Ziva would actually consider leaving him. But now he stood, in a seemingly empty home, staring at his wife's packed suitcase. He felt tears well up in his eyes as the realization was almost too much for him to bear. How could this have happened? Tony backed out of the room and leaned with his back against the wall in the hallway. He thought for a moment, wondering where Ziva could be. He contemplated calling Abby. Just then, he heard a sound from down the hallway. It sounded like a small sob. He turned his head and noticed the door to the baby nursery was cracked open. Slowly, Tony walked toward the room, and when he reached it, he stood outside of it for a moment. Beyond that door, he heard his wife crying. She was still there. But, she was still hurting. Tony closed his eyes, wondering what to do. He knew he had to go in there. A lot of the pain that Ziva was feeling had been caused by him. He took a deep breath and quietly pushed the door open to reveal Ziva sitting alone on the floor, crying, and holding a teddy bear close to her. Tony felt his heart aching as he viewed this scene in front of him. He had known that Ziva was hurting, but seeing it firsthand made it real. Tony looked at his wife and felt ashamed. He slowly walked into the room and stood beside Ziva. She did not look up at him.

"Ziva," he said quietly. Still, Ziva did not look up at him. Tony knelt down beside her, and she turned her head away from him. "Come on, Ziva, talk to me." Ziva's eyes darted over to look at Tony. She was outraged by what he had just said.

"Talk to you?" she repeated through her tears. "I have been trying to get you to do that for days."

"I know," Tony said as he sat on the floor next to Ziva. "And I know that I've been acting like a jerk."

"_That_ is an understatement," Ziva laughed bitterly and wiped some tears from her face.

"I know," he said again. "And I'm sorry, Ziva." Ziva stared at him incredulously for a long moment. She had no idea what to say to him.

"You are sorry?" she asked.

"Yeah, I really am," Tony replied. "I should have been there for you."

"Yes you should have," Ziva said firmly. She was not going to forgive Tony easily for this. She had built walls up during this ordeal, and she wasn't prepared to take them down yet. Not just from a simple apology.

"I know I was being selfish," Tony continued. "And you have every right to be mad at me."

"I am mad at you, Tony," Ziva said. It was obvious in her voice that she was mad, but Tony also noticed a variety of other emotions. "But more than that, I am hurt. We were supposed to be in this together, and the fact that you could repeatedly leave me without showing any sign of remorse...I cannot explain how that made me feel."

"I know-"

"Will you stop saying 'I know'? You do not know anything about what I am going through," Ziva spat, her eyes narrowing into an intense glare. "You can relate to the pain I feel from losing the baby, but that is all. You know nothing about the pain and betrayal that I am feeling because of you." Tony nodded and looked at the floor in shame.

"You're right," Tony said. "And I never will be able to relate to that because you would never treat me that way. I have been a terrible husband lately, and I can't apologize enough for that."

"That is the most intelligent thing you have said so far," Ziva said. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Ziva broke it. "So where were you today?"

"I went for a walk," Tony replied. Ziva rolled her eyes. "I ran into a friend, and then we went and talked."

"Really?" Ziva asked doubtfully. "And what did you and this friend talk about?"

"Mainly me being an idiot," Tony replied. "He really helped me open my eyes to see what I've been doing to you. And he made me realize how much I could destroy both of us if I didn't change."

"Sounds like a smart man," Ziva said quietly, having a hunch that the man was Gibbs.

"He is," Tony replied. "And he was right about everything. I have been so stupidly selfish and you don't deserve that. No matter how much I was hurting, you were feeling it too, and it was wrong of me to ignore that."

"Yes it was," Ziva agreed. "How could you think that I would put up with your behavior forever?"

"I don't know," Tony replied honestly. "But when the thought finally crossed my mind about what it would be like if I lost you...I didn't know how to handle it. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Then when I got home and saw that suitcase on the bed...I almost lost it, Ziva. All this pain that I've been feeling since we lost Landon, it's nothing compared to what I would feel if I lost you too. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you." Tony couldn't believe how honest he was being with Ziva. He had laid everything out for her now, and all he could do was hold his breath and wait for her reply.

"You know, Tony," she began. "I have been watching you deal with this for a while now. I have watched you hurt me, yourself, and our marriage. I knew that you were not able to handle this type of thing well, and I was worried of how you would cope. When I tried to be there for you, you shut me out and would not let me. You completely turned your back on me which is something I have never done to you. I know that this was tragic, but how do we know that there will not be future tragedies?"

"We don't," Tony replied.

"Exactly," Ziva said. "So how do I know that you will not treat me this way again?"

"Ziva, you have my word. I love you," Tony replied. Ziva was shaking her head as he spoke.

"You're word is no longer good enough, Tony," she said. "You gave me your word when we took our vows that you would love and cherish me no matter what, through _anything_. And you broke your word."

"Ziva-"

"You know I do not trust people very easily at all, Tony," Ziva continued. "I trusted you-" her voice broke.

"Ziva, please don't do this," Tony pleaded.

"Don't do what?" Ziva asked, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Do you honestly believe that saying you are sorry and you love me will fix things? Those are just words, Tony."

"Then let me show you," Tony said.

"You will have your chance," Ziva replied. "When the time is right." Ziva stood from the ground, and Tony quickly did the same. He followed her as she walked down the hallway to the bedroom and watched helplessly as Ziva zipped her suitcase.

"Ziva, please-"

"I am going to Abby's," Ziva said. "Do not follow me, do not try to stop me. If you really love me, you will honor my requests."

Tony followed Ziva to the living room without saying another word. He knew if he opened his mouth to speak again, he would break down. When Ziva reached the front door, she looked back at her husband again and Tony saw something in her eyes. He wasn't sure what it was though. Ziva swallowed a large lump in her throat as she opened the door and left the apartment. As soon as Ziva had closed the door behind her, Tony let the tears escape. He lowered himself onto the couch and put his face in his hands. He had been stubborn and selfish, and as a result, he had lost everything good about his life. How could he ever move past this?

Ziva was walking quickly toward the street, wanting to leave the apartment building as soon as possible and reach Abby's house. She wanted to reach a place where she could let everything out that she had been holding in. Ziva was heartbroken; walking out of that apartment had been the hardest thing for her to do. Ziva was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Janice getting out of a taxi and walking back up to the apartment building.

"Well, hello there, dear," the woman said cheerfully.

"Oh, hi," Ziva replied distantly. She stopped for a moment because Janice was standing directly in front of her.

"Is everything okay?" Janice asked, noticing Ziva's red eyes and tear-stained face. Ziva shook her head.

"No, it is not," she replied.

"Are you going somewhere?" Janice asked, looking at the suitcase in Ziva's hand. Ziva swallowed hard; she didn't want to have this conversation.

"I just need to get away to clear my head," she replied.

"Oh," Janice sighed disappointed. Ziva was confused by hearing the disappointed tone in her voice.

"Yes, well I should really get going," she said, trying to end the conversation. She stepped to the side, trying to pass her neighbor, but Janice stepped in front of her to block her. "Janice, what are you doing?" Ziva was becoming irritated.

"It's just that I hate to see couples separate when they are clearly meant for each other," Janice replied gently. Ziva stared at her for a moment, not sure what to think.

"Well not to be rude, but you really do not know the situation," Ziva said.

"No I don't," Janice admitted. "And just like I told Tony, I don't need to know. No one needs to know but you two. However, I do know that he loves you more than you, and probably he himself, can understand. I also know that whatever he did, he feels more remorse for than he can explain to anyone."

"How could you possibly know that?" Ziva asked.

"I talked to him before he went inside to talk to you," Janice admitted. "Tony was standing outside your apartment for quite a while, terrified to go inside, and completely unsure of what to do and say once he had entered. I could tell he was really beating himself up over it."

"And what did you say to him?" Ziva asked curiously.

"He admitted that he had caused a lot of problems and wanted to fix them," Janice began. "He told me that he didn't know what to do. I told him that once he went to you, he would know what to say. That is the only advice that I gave him."

"So, he appeared sorry to you?" Ziva asked.

"He appeared more than sorry. He was going crazy over how to fix things," Janice replied. "You really are very special to him. I just wish that things could have turned out better for the two of you." Janice offered a sad smile and bid Ziva a good night before walking past Ziva and to her own apartment.

Ziva stood frozen, not sure where to go. Everything that Janice had just told her kept replaying in her mind. Tony seemed to be truly remorseful. Ziva felt her stomach churn and she was reminded of her yearnings for her previous life of happiness. She knew that she and Tony had a lot more growth in their relationship, and knew that happiness was possible, but wondered how long it would take to achieve. Ziva then looked down at the suitcase in her hand and wondered if she could ever truly be happy without Tony. With the thought of her life without Tony, her decision was made and she had her answer.

Back in their apartment, Tony had not moved from the couch. He had completely let go of his pride and had cried until he was certain his body could produce no more tears. His mind kept replaying Ziva walking out, nearly taunting him with what his mistakes had cost him. Ziva had said he would have his chance to show her he was sorry and that he loved her. When would he get that chance? And how would he do it? Just then, he heard the front door open and turned to see it open. His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw Ziva enter the room.

"It does not feel good to be walked out on does it?" Ziva greeted quietly as she joined her husband on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked, quickly wiping his tears to hide them from Ziva. "I thought you were going to Abby's."

"I was," Ziva replied. "But when I got outside, I realized something."

"What's that?" Tony asked.

"I realized that no matter how hurt or angry I am with you, I can never really imagine my life without you in it," Ziva replied. "I believe you that you love me, and I believe you that you are sorry for how you acted."

"I really am, Ziva, and I promise I'll find a way to prove it to you," Tony said.

"You already have," Ziva replied. Tony gave her a confused look. "I ran into Janice outside. She told me that you were beating yourself up about everything before you came in to talk to me. Even though you had no idea what to say, you came in and talked to me anyway. You were finally open with me. Also, your tears show me how much it hurts you to think of your life without me. But most importantly, when I was leaving, I asked that you not follow me or try to stop me. When I looked into your eyes, I could tell how hard it was for you to stand there and watch me leave, but you did it anyway because I asked you to. You finally put what I wanted and asked of you above your own wants and feelings. That shows me that you really do love me. And I want you to know that I really do love you too." Tony smiled and wrapped Ziva in a hug for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Ziva returned the hug, happy that they were making progress.

"I know that it's going to take a while to get back to the way things were before," Tony said when they pulled apart.

"After everything that has happened, we will never be back to the way things were before," Ziva pointed out. "But I do believe that we can move forward from this together."

"I completely agree," Tony said.

Finally, Ziva was content with knowing that she had her husband back, even though it took a lot longer than she had hoped. She felt confident in their ability to repair their relationship, even though it would take work, and believed Tony when he said he was sorry and he loved her. Inside, however, she knew that the amount of pain Tony had made her endure would not go away quite as quickly, and she knew that even though she loved him, it would take her a while to completely trust him again. Ziva hoped that their love could pull them through their ordeal and that Tony would be able to show her that he can regain her trust in the near future. She wanted all of that to happen, but at the moment, she knew she and Tony were prepared to move forward in their marriage, and she was happy with that.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, they've finally began to reconcile :) I hope you all enjoyed it! Also, I hope you liked Janice, because I rewrote the ending and made it 30 chapters instead of 20, and Janice will play a bigger role later on :) Please review! 


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and reviewing :) I like that you're all pretty much happy with them again, and I plan to honor your requests for some fluffy, sweet Tiva. Remember we still have 12 chapters to go, and I still have a lot up my sleeve for this couple :) Okay, well, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters. I own Janice and the doctor I made up several chapters ago, that is all.

0-0-0

It had been two months since Tony and Ziva had reconciled, and their marriage was well on its way to perfection. Because of how badly Tony felt, he had been doing everything in his power to keep Ziva happy, including taking her out, spending whole days together on their days off, and just showing general love and tenderness toward her throughout the day. The intimacy had returned to their relationship with full force, and Ziva could not explain how happy she was. She felt like they were newlyweds again still in the honeymoon state because of how sweet Tony was being.

Ziva woke up one morning feeling wide awake. She looked at the clock and realized it was only 3:45. Ziva sighed and wondered if she should bother trying to get back to sleep or if she should just get up. She felt Tony's arm still around her waist from when they had fallen asleep cuddling the night before and decided to stay in bed so as not to wake him. Her hand slid down and took his hand in hers, and she gently caressed it with her thumb. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Ziva rolled over underneath Tony's arm onto her other side to face him. She smiled as she watched him sweetly sleeping next to her and snuggled up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Tony began to stir and his eyes opened slowly.

"Did I wake you?" Ziva whispered.

"No," Tony whispered back. "Are you okay?"

"Can't sleep," Ziva replied. Tony nodded and kissed Ziva lightly on the forehead. He wrapped her up in his arms and held her closely to his body as he fell back asleep. Ziva closed her eyes and allowed herself to be totally surrounded by Tony; his feel, his scent. Finally, she drifted back into her own peaceful slumber.

A few hours later, Tony and Ziva were sitting at their desks at work. Tony was staring out the window watching the rain fall, making the city look very dreary. Ziva sat across from him staring at her computer screen. She was feeling very tired. She figured it was probably because she had woken up in the middle of the night. Ziva blinked hard and rubbed her temples, trying to focus on the screen in front of her, but she couldn't force herself to concentrate. Just then, Gibbs rounded the corner of the bullpen.

"Grab your gear," he ordered. "Dead marine." As usual, Gibbs was the first one headed toward the elevator, his team following closely.

The crime scene was a vacant lot off the side of a road. There, Gibbs was giving his orders to his team, and Ziva was still finding it difficult to focus on her job. She walked around the scene, feeling halfway out of it, and checked for any evidence. Tony was busy taking photos of the scene, but noticed how spacy his wife seemed. When they were on their way back to headquarters, Tony squeezed Ziva's hand and sent her a confused, concerned look asking about her behavior at the crime scene. Ziva shook her head, telling him not to worry about anything.

Back at work, Ziva was running searches on her computer, trying her hardest to focus, but couldn't shake her overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. All she wanted to do was sleep. As Gibbs walked past her desk, Ziva was quickly brought out of her thoughts. Gibbs was carrying a cup of coffee that Ziva caught a whiff of and instantly felt nauseous. She swallowed down a gag and excused herself to go to the bathroom. Once inside, she splashed cold water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror.

'_What is going on?'_ she thought to herself. _'Am I coming down with something?'_ She was wondering if these were early signs that she was getting the flu or something. When Ziva felt a bit better, she left the bathroom to rejoin her team. She spent the rest of the day at work putting all of her effort into focusing on her work.

At home that night, Tony cooked dinner while Ziva laid on the couch. After dinner, which Ziva only ate half of her plate, they settled on the couch together to see what was on the tv. Tony put his arm around Ziva and she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder.

"See anything good?" he asked as he flipped through the channels.

"Hmm," Ziva sighed in reply. She was struggling just to keep her eyes open.

"Are you feeling alright?" Tony asked, looking down at Ziva.

"I think I might be catching the flu," she replied weakly. Tony was worried; Ziva rarely got sick.

"Have you gotten sick?" Tony asked. "Do you have a fever?"

"No," Ziva replied. "I'm really tired and don't have much of an appetite. And Gibbs' coffee smell made me pretty nauseous today."

"Why don't you just go to bed, sweetie," Tony suggested, playing with her hair. Ziva sighed.

"I am comfortable here," she replied, snuggling deeper into Tony. Tony smiled and turned off the tv, allowing Ziva to fall peacefully asleep resting against him. When Tony was sure she was sleeping, he gently picked Ziva up and carried her into their bedroom. He laid her on the bed and crawled in next to her. Ziva didn't stir at all. Tony placed a kiss on the side of Ziva's head and fell asleep next to her, his arm around her waist.

Ziva was in a deep sleep until 4:13. She woke up feeling extremely nauseous. Quietly, she got out of bed and went down the hall into the bathroom where she proceeded to vomit. Afterward, she cleaned herself up and stared into the mirror again.

"It couldn't be..." she whispered to herself. Ziva went back to her bedroom and crawled back into bed where she easily fell back asleep.

When they were at work later that day, Ziva was having a difficult time focusing again. This time, however, she was thinking more about explanations for her sickness. She hadn't told Tony that she had gotten sick because she didn't want to worry him if it was nothing serious. Ziva was certain that she must be catching a cold or the flu. However, something inside of her kept telling her that wasn't it. She couldn't shake the feeling that her body was acting very similar to how it had when she was pregnant. Ziva shook her head. She couldn't be pregnant. She and Tony had decided that since the miscarriage was still so recent, they wanted to wait a while before getting pregnant again. The pain was still too fresh. To make sure there wouldn't be an unexpected pregnancy, they had used condoms every time. Ziva knew she couldn't be pregnant, but she was still worried. On her lunch, she decided to find out for sure just to stop the burning hunch that she was expecting again. She went to a nearby drugstore and purchased a pregnancy test. Upon returning to work, she went straight down to Abby's lab where her ears were filled with the familiar sound of rock music.

"Abby!" Ziva called over the music. Abby turned to face her and turned down the music.

"Hey there!" she replied cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Abby, it is happening again," Ziva said seriously. Abby noticed that something was bothering her friend.

"What's happening?" she asked. She had no idea what was going on.

"I have been extremely tired and unable to focus, the smell of Gibbs' coffee made me nauseous, and I got sick this morning," Ziva replied hastily.

"Uh oh," Abby said, sensing what Ziva was fearing. "You think..."

"I do not know," Ziva replied. "We have been extremely careful. We use protection-"

"You know that's not one hundred percent fool-proof?"Abby pointed out.

"Yes I know," Ziva said. "But the chances are slim."

"Well," Abby sighed, "do you have a test?" Ziva nodded.

"I bought one today," she replied.

"Good luck," Abby nodded toward the bathroom. After Ziva had taken the test, she reentered Abby's lab to wait for the results.

"I cannot believe we let this happen so soon after losing Landon," Ziva said.

"What were you supposed to do; just not have sex again?" Abby asked. "Besides, you don't even know if it's positive yet."

"You are right," Ziva said, trying to calm her nerves. "But I am worried of how Tony will react if it is positive."

"You were worried last time too," Abby reminded her.

"Yes but that was different," Ziva replied. "Last time, we had not been through everything that just happened."

"No, but after getting through all that, your relationship should be stronger now," Abby said. "You guys can handle this." Ziva sighed and nodded, hoping Abby was right.

"Well, it's time," Ziva said looking at the clock. The two women walked to the bathroom and Ziva read the test.

"Well?" Abby asked when Ziva's eyes met hers. The mixed look on Ziva's face said it all.

Later on, Ziva and Tony had just gotten home from work. Ziva was confusing Tony more and more throughout the day. He had not known where she had gone when she left for lunch, and when she had returned she had been unreadable. Tony knew she was hiding something, and he had no idea what it was. During the car ride home, Ziva hadn't spoken much, and Tony concluded that she was trying to keep herself from spilling whatever secret she was keeping. Finally, after closing the door of their apartment, Ziva turned to face him.

"We need to talk," she said.

"Okay," Tony said as he followed Ziva to the couch. "What about?"

"That miscarriage was very hard on us," she began. Tony nodded his agreement, trying to ignore the pain he felt when he was reminded of what had happened a couple months ago. "Do you still want to have children?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do," Tony replied, taken off guard by the question. "When the time is right."

"When do you think the time will be right?" Ziva asked. Tony looked at her confused.

"I don't know exactly," he replied slowly. "Is there something going on?" Ziva looked into his eyes, knowing it was now or never. She took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant," she said bluntly. Tony was hit with shock and then was quickly taken over by happiness and excitement.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm going to make a doctor appointment to confirm it, but I took a pregnancy test and it was positive, and I have been feeling the way I felt last time again," Ziva replied. Tony couldn't contain his smile after being told they were getting a second chance at being parents.

"Ziva this is fantastic," he said.

"Really? You are happy about this?" Ziva asked.

"Of course I am," Tony replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"The timing," Ziva replied.

"It's a little sooner than we expected, but that's okay," Tony said. "We're going to have a _baby_." Tony embraced Ziva in a tight hug and they shared their excitement with each other. They were getting another chance to have a baby, and they just prayed that everything would go smoothly the second time around.

0-0-0

**A/N:** There's chapter 18 :) Hope you enjoyed, please review!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews :) But again, I have been questioned and I feel like I should answer. It has been roughly 3 months since the miscarriage. Tony and Ziva had problems for probably about a week to two weeks maximum, and at the beginning of the last chapter I said it had been two months since their reconciliation, not their miscarriage. And then, a couple days went by in the last chapter as well. So, about two and a half to three months had roughly passed since the miscarriage. So it's not completely unrealistic that she's pregnant again, but if I'm pushing it by a couple weeks, I apologize. My reviewers wanted another baby pretty badly, so I rewrote the ending. Also, I know I didn't reveal a cause for the miscarriage, I thought about doing so, but didn't. I can make one if it is wanted. And I know being pregnant so soon again is risky, I never said there wouldn't be risks ;) I think that covers everything...I do welcome the criticism; it gives me something to think about. As for everyone else, keep reading and I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony and Ziva were sitting up in bed talking that night. Ziva had scheduled an appointment the next day; their day off. Even though they had planned on waiting, Tony had seemed pretty happy about the news. Ziva, however, couldn't bring herself to believe this had happened. A part of her was happy, but another part couldn't stop thinking about her first pregnancy which had ended so tragically. What if she just wasn't meant to have children? What if every time she got pregnant, it ended the same way? She wasn't sure if she could go through another miscarriage.

"You excited about tomorrow?" Tony asked. Ziva snapped back to reality and turned to look at him.

"Yeah," she replied kind of distantly. Tony grew concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I have just been thinking a lot," Ziva replied vaguely.

"About?" Tony pressed on. Ziva was silent for a moment, wanting to choose her words properly.

"I am just worried," she replied.

"About what?" Tony asked again.

"What if I got pregnant again too soon?" Ziva asked, revealing part of her fear.

"I told you earlier, it might be sooner than we planned, but this isn't a bad thing," Tony assured her.

"But what if it is?" Ziva asked. "What if I have another miscarriage?"

"That's what you're worried about?" Tony asked.

"I am worried that any time I get pregnant, it will end the same way it did last time," Ziva admitted, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of that horrific day. Tony's heart went out to her.

"Ziva, I'm sure that's totally normal to have fears like that," he said. "But every pregnancy is different. Just because you lost your first one doesn't mean you'll lose your second one."

"But there is a bigger chance for complications," Ziva said. "I don't think I could handle any complications...or another miscarriage."

"Well, try not to think like that," Tony said. "But if, God forbid, something does happen, we'll get through it." Ziva smiled at the assuring tone in his voice.

"I know," she said. "I just do not want the baby to have to go through anything too awful." Tony nodded his understanding.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he assured her. Ziva nodded, hoping he was right.

"I requested to have an ultrasound tomorrow, just to make sure there aren't any problems that they can detect already," she announced.

"Okay, great," Tony said. "They don't usually give you one til, what, ten weeks?" Ziva nodded.

"But considering my last pregnancy and how soon afterward I got pregnant, I want to make sure they cannot see anything wrong right away," she explained. "And I really hope they won't." Tony smiled and kissed her reassuringly on the forehead.

"They won't," he said.

The next day, Tony and Ziva were driving to their appointment. Ziva was fidgeting anxiously in the passenger seat, not saying much. Even though she hadn't voiced it since the previous night, Tony sensed her nerves. When they pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car, Ziva didn't move. Tony reached over and took her hand gently.

"It'll be fine," he said softly. "Let's go." Ziva took a deep breath and exited the car. They walked inside together, and moments later they were inside the examination room, waiting for the doctor. Soon, Dr. Beckman walked in and greeted them both.

"So how are you feeling today?" she asked Ziva with a smile.

"I feel okay," Ziva replied. "I had a little morning sickness today, but that is all."

"How long has the morning sickness gone on?" Dr. Beckman asked.

"Well, only today and yesterday. But a couple days ago, the smell of coffee made me nauseous too," Ziva replied. Dr. Beckman nodded and wrote down Ziva's answers.

"What were your other symptoms?" she asked.

"I have just been extremely tired all the time," Ziva replied.

"Well, I would estimate you're probably around five weeks along," Dr. Beckman said, laying down Ziva's file. "And we're going to do an ultrasound today as you requested."

"Thank you," Ziva smiled. Dr. Beckman was getting everything set up, and Ziva could feel her nerves acting up. She was about to see her baby, and she hoped everything was okay. Tony took her hand reassuringly.

"Alright, take a deep breath, calm down," Dr. Beckman smiled, sensing Ziva's nerves, and understanding why. Ziva did as she was told, and Dr. Beckman applied the gel to Ziva's stomach. Moments later, they were looking at the monitor.

"Well, everything looks great so far," Dr. Beckman assured them. "I don't see any problems."

"Good," Ziva sighed in relief. That had been her biggest fear, although she knew she still had a long while to go.

"Oh," Dr. Beckman said suddenly. "Would you look at that..." Ziva and Tony looked to where Dr. Beckman was pointing on the screen. The doctor was smiling, so they figured it wasn't bad news.

"What does that mean?" Ziva asked as she stared the spot where the doctor's finger was pointing. Deep down, she was already anticipating the answer before Dr. Beckman said it.

"You're having twins!"

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, you guys wanted a baby, so I gave you two babies :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone for reviewing :) I appreciate it. I'm glad you're all liking it. And Jane, I will work in the explanation for the miscarriage; I'm thinking I can arrange it within the next 2 chapters :) I really am glad you actually like it, and I appreciate the constructive criticism, but please don't think that I don't research for it. I've talked to my mom a lot who has had 3 miscarriages and was a nurse's assistant for many years, and I search things on Google, but it's still totally possible that I make errors when putting the information into my story. But I would never just throw stuff together without researching it first :) I hope that I can impress you all with the last 10 chapters of this, and I hope you all enjoy chapter 20!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

"I can't believe we're having twins," Tony said when he and Ziva returned home. They sat on the couch together to discuss their latest news.

"I know," Ziva agreed. Tony couldn't quite decipher the tone of her voice.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I am still just worried, that is all," Ziva replied.

"You shouldn't be," Tony said, taking her hand. "Dr. Beckman said everything looks fine."

"I am only a little over one month pregnant," Ziva pointed out. "There is quite a bit of time left for something to go wrong. And I'm still just really scared that something will go wrong because I have already had one miscarriage."

"Ziva," Tony began in a strong but gentle voice. "The doctor said everything appears great so far. She knows what has happened, and I'm sure she'll keep an extra eye on you because of it. Try not to worry so much; it could be bad for you and the babies."

"I know," Ziva sighed. "I am being silly. Everything will probably be okay."

"You're not being silly. You're being normal," Tony assured her. "But you have to try and trust that things will work out." Ziva gave in, knowing that he was right.

"Should we call Gibbs?" she asked. Tony thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah," he replied. "We can tell the others tomorrow at work. Let's share one night where just the two of us know our business."

"I can agree to that," Ziva smiled and wrapped her arms around Tony's neck, pulling him toward her for a long passionate kiss.

"So, should we celebrate this news?" Tony asked when they had pulled away. He was twirling the bottom of some of Ziva's hair in his fingers.

"We should," Ziva smiled. She then thought back to her conversation with Abby about most mens' insecurities with pregnant women. "I am glad that you are not like other guys." Tony chuckled and stood from the couch, pulling Ziva up with him, and led her to their bedroom.

The next day, Gibbs and McGee were at work, researching a lead they had on their current case. They had recently discovered strong evidence that linked the brother of the marine found in the vacant lot to the scene of the crime, so McGee was tracking him down while Gibbs waited impatiently for Tony and Ziva to show up. They hadn't called and hadn't answered when Gibbs had called. Gibbs was getting very irritated with them as he stood sipping his coffee and glancing at the clock periodically. Finally, the elevator opened and Tony and Ziva exited, walking quickly toward their desks. They looked unusually happy, but Gibbs didn't give that any thought because he was too annoyed with their late appearances.

"Got it boss!" McGee exclaimed right as Tony and Ziva entered the bullpen.

"Well it's about time," Gibbs said to all three of his agents. "Gear up."

"Uh, boss, actually we have something to tell you," Tony said.

"Later, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "We will definitely talk later."

"But boss-" Tony gave up as Gibbs walked past him, not acknowledging the fact that Tony was trying to speak to him. McGee followed closely, leaving Tony and Ziva standing alone at their desks.

"Do not worry about it right now," Ziva said. "We can tell him when we get back."

"Ziva, you know you shouldn't be doing any field work," Tony replied.

"Gibbs does not know that," Ziva pointed out.

"Just stay here. It's too dangerous for you in your condition," Tony said firmly.

"You do not know that," Ziva replied. "Besides, Gibbs is already angry with us for being late. I cannot just stay behind."

"You-"

"Hey! Ziva! DiNozzo! I've waited long enough for you two this morning!" Gibbs hollered from the elevator.

"We have to go," Ziva said hurriedly to Tony. "We will tell him when we get back." Before Tony could protest again, Ziva had grabbed her gear and was headed toward the elevator, so Tony did the same.

The car ride was quick. McGee had traced the suspect's cell phone to a cafe downtown. The whole ride to the cafe, Tony spent stealing quick glances over at Ziva. He was extremely nervous about his wife going with them. Ziva's main point had been that staying behind without explanation would anger Gibbs, but Tony couldn't help himself thinking about how angry Gibbs was bound to be when he found out that Ziva went out on field work while knowing she was pregnant. Tony was fighting an internal battle over whether he should tell Gibbs during the car ride, and he couldn't understand why Ziva appeared as calm as she did. She was great at hiding emotion, Tony tried telling himself. Finally, they pulled up to the cafe. McGee and Gibbs exited the car.

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Tony asked quickly, knowing that if they spent too much time in the car, they would only further anger their boss.

"Tony, everything will be fine," Ziva replied, slightly irritated. "We'll go in there, identify the guy, arrest him, and go back to headquarters. Then, we will tell Gibbs." It sounded like the perfect plan, but Tony knew things were never that easy. Just then, Gibbs opened Tony's door.

"Let's go," he said sternly.

"Sorry, boss," Tony replied quietly. Upon standing from the car, he felt Gibbs smack him in the back of the head, and noticed the smirk on McGee's face. Tony ignored McGee's satisfaction, and the four of them entered the building.

"See him?" Gibbs asked quietly as they all looked around the diner.

"There," McGee whispered, pointing with his eyes to a man sitting alone in a booth by the window. Gibbs nodded and led his team toward where the man was sitting. Feeling someone approach him, the man looked up and made eye contact with Gibbs. Fear instantly covered the man's face and he began to fidget in his seat.

"Joseph-" Gibbs was cut off when the suspect leaped from his seat and bolted across the room. "Hey!" The man ran outside. "McGee, you're with me. Tony, Ziva go around the block." With Gibbs' orders in mind, the team took off. Gibbs and McGee ran out the front entrance and down the street in the direction their suspect had gone. Tony and Ziva went out the back entrance and ran down the street on the backside of the block, hoping to corner the man between them and Gibbs and McGee. The four agents met up on a corner the next block over, none of them having seen their suspect.

"Damn it!" Gibbs exclaimed in frustration.

"Maybe we can track him down again," Ziva suggested as she gazed around, not seeing him. Just then, they heard a gunshot and saw a bullet hit the trash can to their left.

"Boss!" McGee hollered, pointing down the street. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva looked and saw their suspect behind a parked car. All they saw was his head and upper body. He had a gun, and it was pointed at Ziva who was standing the closest to him.

"Drop your weapon!" Gibbs shouted as all four of them raised their own guns. Instantly, with a daring look in his eyes, the suspect pulled the trigger of his gun which was aimed at Ziva. Instinctively, Tony, who was standing next to Ziva, lunged toward her, knocking her out of the path of the bullet and onto the ground. Tony landed on top of her and heard Gibbs shoot his own gun, knowing that their suspect was now dead.

"Tony, Ziva," Gibbs began, turning in their direction.

"We're okay, boss," Tony said in a strained voice as he rolled off of Ziva.

"Then why are you bleeding," Gibbs said pointing at Tony's right arm. Tony looked down and saw the sleeve of his jacket torn and blood coming out of it.

"I didn't even feel that," he said stunned as he stared at his arm. He had been completely focused on protecting his wife and their babies.

"Get it checked out," Gibbs ordered as an ambulance rounded the corner in response to the altercation. Tony sighed and stood from the ground, pulling Ziva up with his other hand. He walked over to the squad, obeying his boss's orders.

"Hey," Ziva said as she walked up to Tony ten minutes later. Tony was leaning against the ambulance with his upper arm wrapped up in bandages.

"Hey," he responded. Ziva's eyes went directly to Tony's wound. "It's fine. The bullet just grazed it." He had sensed Ziva's worry.

"Does it hurt?" Ziva asked.

"No," Tony lied quickly. Ziva gave him a look, telling him to be honest. "A little."

"Tony, I am so sorry," Ziva said.

"For what?" Tony asked, confused by her apology.

"That you got hurt," she replied. Tony shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault," he said.

"I should have just stayed behind like you wanted," Ziva said. "We could have dealt with Gibbs later. But I was stubborn and put you in a situation where you got hurt. So I am sorry."

"Don't be," Tony replied, looking her straight in her big brown eyes. "Ziva, I would take a bullet for you any day, whether you're pregnant or not." Ziva smiled, knowing his words were true and feeling how strong his feelings for her were.

"Pregnant?" repeated a voice to their right.

"Hi, boss," Tony said, looking at the ground. He was dreading this conversation.

"How are you feeling?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm fine," Tony replied, looking over at him.

"Well that's good, because you're not going to be when I'm done with you," Gibbs said, the anger in his voice obvious. He turned to look at Ziva. "You're _pregnant_?"

"Yes," Ziva replied.

"And what part of you thinks that this is a good idea?" Gibbs continued in anger. "You just miscarried a few months ago. This is bound to be a high-risk pregnancy!"

"The doctor said that everything is doing great so far," Ziva replied.

"You've already been to a doctor?" Gibbs asked. He was outraged that he hadn't known.

"Yesterday," Ziva replied.

"And you thought you could do field work anyway?" Gibbs demanded. "You _know_ the risks involved in this job."

"We tried to tell you earlier today," Tony said. "Ziva's pregnant. She's having twins."

"Twins?" Gibbs repeated. "And you tried to tell me? What did I tell you about trying harder, DiNozzo." He turned back to Ziva. "You are banned from crime scenes and field work of any kind until those babies are born." Without another word, Gibbs turned and walked away.

"Well, that could've been worse," Tony said once Gibbs was out of earshot.

"I suppose," Ziva sighed. "And I guess I am back to paperwork and not actually contributing to the cases."

"You know it's for the best," Tony said. "We don't want anything to go wrong. Gibbs is right, this is already risky as it is."

"I know," Ziva agreed. "And it is only for eight more months."

"Exactly," Tony smiled. "It'll come soon enough."

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, Gibbs knows now. I hope you enjoyed. Please review!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and reviewing! In response to a request from one of my reviewers, I will gladly add some more Tiva :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony was sitting in bed that night leaning against the headboard while Ziva was in the bathroom down the hall getting ready for bed. The events of the day kept replaying in Tony's head. Gibbs had been so angry, rightfully so. Tony should not have let Ziva go with them, no matter what she said. He kept thinking back to what he felt when he saw that gun pointed at Ziva. His heart had nearly stopped. As soon as he saw that man's hand move to pull the trigger, logically, Tony should have pulled his own trigger and shot the guy himself. But his instincts as a husband overpowered his instincts as an agent, and he had focused on getting his wife out of danger instead. He looked down at his bandaged arm and smiled, knowing if he had to do it all over again, he would react the exact same way.

Ziva entered the bedroom wearing an oversized t-shirt and her curly hair was down over her shoulders. Tony watched her as she walked across the floor and sat next to him on the bed. Finally, she looked up and met his gaze.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Just you," Tony replied. Ziva smiled.

"Why?" she asked.

"I've just been thinking about earlier," Tony shrugged. "Seeing that gun pointed at you..."

"Yes," Ziva nearly whispered as her eyes left Tony's. She let her gaze fall to Tony's wound and she was instantly saddened. He had gotten hurt protecting her because she was too stubborn to stay behind.

"I know you tell me not to, but I still feel awful that this happened to you," she said, gesturing toward his arm with her eyes.

"Don't," Tony said. Ziva knew that he would always tell her not to feel bad about it. That's just the kind of man Tony was.

"Do you need me to do anything? Does it need re-bandaged?" Ziva asked, clearly wanting to help in some way. Tony smiled and shook his head.

"No, you don't need to do anything," he replied.

"Did you redress it before bed?" Ziva asked, already knowing the answer. Not waiting for him to speak, she rose from the bed. "Let me." Without another word, Ziva went back to the bathroom and came back moments later with disinfectant and more bandages.

"Ziva, I'm okay, really," Tony said. Ziva ignored him and began gently unwrapping his arm. She felt a pang of guilt when the bandage was removed and she saw the blood and the wound for herself. She looked at it for a moment, imagining if the wound had been worse, and being thankful that it wasn't.

"This will sting," she said quietly as she applied the disinfectant. Tony didn't respond, but he cringed slightly as Ziva treated his arm. She then gently wrapped a new, fresh bandage around his arm and placed the materials on her bedside table when she was finished. "All done."

"Thanks," Tony smiled.

"No problem," Ziva replied. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Well thanks, Zi, but I mean it. I'm okay. I'm the one who should be taking care of you," Tony said.

"You have always taken care of me," Ziva replied with a kind smile and a loving look in her eyes. She leaned in a placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"And I always will," Tony said just above a whisper, looking deep into her chocolate eyes. "I love you, Ziva."

"I love you too," she returned sweetly. "And thank you for, you know, saving me today. I have been feeling bad about what happened to you and I have not actually thanked you for what you did."

"You don't need to, babe," Tony said. "I told you I'd take a bullet for you any day. It just so happened, I got to prove that today."

"Yes you did," Ziva muttered, still upset that he was hurt.

"I would do anything for you, and I hope you know that," Tony continued. He placed a hand under her chin and lifted her gaze up to meet his eyes. "Ziva, I know you haven't completely trusted me ever since how I acted after the miscarriage. I understand that. I hope that I'm making it easier for you, though, because I want you to see that I really did mean everything I said. You mean the world to me."

"I never doubted that you loved me, but yes, you have been making it more and more clear," Ziva replied. "I know you have been trying to make up for how you acted, and you really do not need to anymore."

"I feel like I could never make that up to you," Tony admitted. He thought back to how blind he had been and how much hurt he had seen in Ziva's eyes. He remembered that night in the nursery when all the pain that Ziva had been keeping in had finally surfaced and he had seen it all in front of him. Tony knew he could never take it back.

"You should not have to try and make it up to me," Ziva said. "You were hurting, and you did not know how to handle it. You chose to handle it poorly, but what's done is done. We have moved past that, and I feel like our marriage is stronger than ever. You have shown me over and over how much you care, and now we have two new babies to prepare for. I couldn't imagine living my life with anyone else in the world but you, and I want you to know I love and trust you with all my heart." For the past few months, Tony had been trying to prove to Ziva how sorry he was, and Ziva had felt his love and remorse. Today, however, Tony had risked his life to protect her. Ziva remembered how many times he had done that, even before they had been dating. She knew that Tony had always been absolutely loyal to her, and if there was one man in the world who deserved her trust, Tony was that man.

"I love you too, and I know I'll never do anything like that again-" Ziva placed her index finger on Tony's lips, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"I know," she said quietly. "I trust you." She lowered her finger from his lips and let it slide down the middle of his chest. She then lowered her head to kiss Tony's shoulder and made her way up his neck and to his lips. They were engulfed in a passionate kiss, and Ziva positioned herself to straddle Tony and wrap her arms around his neck.

"I want you," she whispered when their lips broke for a moment. Tony slid his hands under Ziva's large t-shirt and worked it off over her head.

"Lie down," he breathed into her neck as he kissed her soft skin. Tony placed his hands on Ziva's bare waist and gently moved so that she was lying on her back and he was positioned over her. Their lips met again and the passion in their kiss deepened as Ziva felt Tony enter her. A moan escaped her mouth as she felt herself losing control and becoming overwhelmed with passion and satisfaction. Later, after they had finished, Tony lowered himself onto the bed next to Ziva.

"How was it?" he asked sexily.

"Do you even have to ask?" Ziva chuckled, her breathing not yet back to normal. Tony laughed lightly and took her hand in his, caressing it gently. He turned and looked into the big brown pools that were her eyes and ran his other hand through her tousled hair.

"You are so beautiful," he said. Ziva smiled, wondering how she had ended up so lucky as to have a man like Tony. "I love you."

"I love you too, Tony," Ziva replied. "I always will." Tony wrapped her up in his strong arms and held her against him while they fell asleep. As Ziva drifted off into her peaceful slumber, she had never felt as safe as she did right then in the arms of her protector.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I was going to go on and start the next scene of them at work, but I thought it would ruin the moment :) So, that'll just make the next chapter a bit longer than anticipated. I hope you all are enjoying so far. Please remember to review!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for reading and for the reviews and alerts! I hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

The next morning, Tony and Ziva were hurrying into the NCIS headquarters and toward the elevator. On their way out of their apartment, they had run in to Janice and had talked to her for a few minutes, she had insisted on knowing the story of how Tony was injured, and it had caused them to be running late for the second day in a row. Gibbs was not going to be happy with them, not that he was as it was. Inside the elevator, Tony and Ziva watched the floor numbers and when they finally reached their floor, they hurried to their bullpen, trying to appear as calm as possible. McGee was sitting at his desk when they entered, and Gibbs was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked of his coworker as he seated himself at his desk.

"Director's office," McGee replied, looking up from his computer to offer Ziva a small smile. "How are you feeling today, Ziva?"

"I am feeling okay, thank you McGee," Ziva replied with a smile of her own.

"I'm okay too, don't worry. I'm the one who got shot after all," Tony said jokingly to McGee. McGee chuckled sightly.

"How are you today, Tony?" McGee asked.

"Peachy," Tony replied casually. Ziva rolled her eyes and Tony flashed her one of his signature smiles before turning his attention to his own computer.

"So how long has Gibbs been up there?" Tony asked.

"About ten minutes," McGee replied.

"I hope we get a case today," Tony said, thinking out loud. "I'm not really in the mood for desk work."

"Wish granted," Gibbs said as he rounded the corner, coffee in hand. "Gear up." He grabbed his own gear and car keys as Tony and McGee scrambled to gather their own. As Gibbs neared Ziva's desk, he met her eyes and gave her a fatherly look. "You know the drill." Ziva nodded and watched as the three men entered the elevator.

"To Abby's," she sighed when the elevator door closed. Ziva left her desk and proceeded down to Abby's lab in search of human interaction while the rest of her team was at the crime scene.

"Ziva!" Abby exclaimed as Ziva entered. She ran over to greet Ziva at the door with a giant hug.

"Hello, Abby," Ziva responded through her constricted airway due to Abby's hug. Abby pulled back.

"Oh no! I didn't squeeze them too hard did I?" she asked, suddenly alarmed.

"No," Ziva replied with a laugh. "They are just fine."

"Good!" Abby squealed. "Oh, Ziva, I heard about what happened yesterday. How are you doing? Is Tony okay?"

"Abby, calm down," Ziva began. "I feel fine, and Tony is okay. The bullet just grazed his arm, and we are taking good care of it."

"Where is he now?" Abby asked.

"He and Gibbs and McGee are at a crime scene," Ziva replied.

"What?" Abby exclaimed, her eyes widened in shock. "The day after getting shot?"

"Abby, he is fine. It just grazed his arm," Ziva repeated. "It is sore, but it is being taken care of. Besides, Gibbs went to crime scenes in a sling after getting hit by that car."

"Well yeah, but that's Gibbs. And that's not a bullet!" Abby pursued dramatically.

"Everything will be okay," Ziva smiled.

"It'd better be," Abby said more calmly. She sighed and directed her attention to Ziva's stomach. "So, how far along are you?"

"About five and a half weeks," Ziva replied.

"And the doctor said everything's going well?" Abby asked, the concern in her voice very obvious.

"Yes," Ziva nodded. "I had an ultrasound and she said both babies are doing just fine. There are no problems so far."

"Good," Abby sighed in relief. She sat on a stool and leaned against the counter before signaling Ziva to do the same. Ziva took a seat beside her.

"I still can't help being nervous though," she admitted.

"That's totally understandable," Abby sympathized. "You've been through a lot, and I'm sure that pain never completely goes away."

"No, it doesn't," Ziva agreed. Abby offered a sympathetic smile and was silent for a moment as she remembered her godson that she would never meet.

"So, have you talked to the doctor about, you know, your fears?" Abby asked. "Is this high-risk, or what are they going to do to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"Well," Ziva began, taking a deep breath. "No matter how healthy I am, miscarriages can never be one hundred percent prevented, but I am going to do all that I can to minimize my chances. And we are going to do everything we can to make sure there is not a repeat of what happened with Landon."

"How are you going to do that?" Abby asked. Ziva hadn't discussed much about the actual medical procedures, and Abby was very interested to hear the course of action that was going to be taken.

"Well, the reason I miscarried Landon at almost five months was because I have an incompetent cervix," Ziva began. "The pain and the blood...and having to deliver my dead baby...I cannot go through that again."

"So what are you going to do?" Abby repeated.

"There is a stitch that I can get in my cervix that will help to support the weight of the babies so that this doesn't happen again," Ziva replied.

"Well that's good news," Abby said. "Are you going to do it?"

"Absolutely," Ziva responded. "It is recommended that the stitch is done during early pregnancy, so when I go for my appointment at 10 weeks is when I plan on getting it." Abby nodded.

"And then the babies should be okay?" she asked hopefully.

"That is the plan," Ziva replied. "Obviously, it still does not prevent against all problems that could arise, but it will definitely make me feel confident that I will not have another experience like I did with Landon."

"Now, you're having two babies, so that will obviously put more strain on your uterus and cervix," Abby began.

"Yes," Ziva said. "That is something that makes it even scarier. The stitch will help a lot, but I will have to rest a lot more this time around."

"Are they going to put you on bed rest at any point?" Abby asked.

"I hope it will not result in complete bed rest, but it is a possibility," Ziva replied. "And if that is what my doctor says is best, then I will do it." Abby shook her head and gave Ziva a very sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Abby said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked.

"Well, I know how badly you've wanted a husband and family and a home and everything," Abby began. "You finally found your perfect husband, and nothing had been easy for you."

"Not at all," Ziva agreed.

"Your miscarriage, your marriage being on the rocks, Tony getting shot, now being pregnant again with these huge risks," Abby continued. "I just feel like you guys aren't catching a break at all." Ziva was a bit surprised at how straight forward Abby was being while discussing all of this, but it showed Ziva that Abby had been thinking about hers and Tony's situation a lot and really sympathized with them.

"I know what you mean," Ziva said. "I agree, nothing has been easy for us."

"And it doesn't seem fair because you guys deserve to have your happy little family," Abby finished.

"Yes, it is scary to think about everything that has happened like that, and I definitely think about it a lot as well," Ziva said. "But whenever I catch myself thinking about the negative things that have happened, I tell myself that when these babies are finally here, it will make it all the more special to know how much we went through to get to that point."

"Does it work?" Abby asked. Ziva shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly, it makes me happy to think of the babies being here and I know that when they are here, everything in the past will be worth it, but no it doesn't eliminate the pain and the fear."

"Totally understandable," Abby nodded. "And I'm sure Tony feels the same way."

"He probably has similar fears," Ziva agreed.

"Well-"

"Tony just texted me," Ziva interrupted as she checked her phone. "They are back."

"Alright," Abby sighed. "I guess you should get back upstairs." Abby offered a pout as their conversation ended.

"I am sure I will be down here nearly every day," Ziva smiled. "I cannot leave the building anymore. It will be just like last time."

"Okay," Abby sighed again. "Well, give me a hug." Ziva wrapped her friend in a hug, and suddenly she remembered something she had wanted to ask Abby.

"Abby," she said as she pulled away. "I wanted to thank you for being there for me and Tony during our problems after the miscarriage."

"You don't need to thank me," Abby shook her head. "You guys are two of my closest friends."

"And you are one of ours," Ziva returned. "Which is why I still want you to be our babies' godmother, if you are still interested."

"Of course!" Abby squealed. "Now I'm going to have _two_ godchildren! This is exciting. Thank you Ziva!" Abby wrapped Ziva in yet another hug and was overcome with excitement.

"I cannot think of another woman who we would trust more," Ziva said. Abby pulled away and smiled at her friend, full of gratitude.

"I am flattered," she said. "Thank you so much."

"You are welcome," Ziva smiled. "But I should go now. I will talk to you again soon."

"Alright," Abby said. "Good luck, and I'm glad everyone is doing alright so far."

"Thanks," Ziva smiled. "I will see you later."

Ziva left Abby's lab and Abby watched as her friend entered the elevator to go back to work. Abby sighed and thought about their conversation. Tony and Ziva had been through so much already, and they deserved to have a pregnancy as smooth as possible and finally have a family. Abby hoped that Ziva's procedure in a few weeks would go well and the stitch would make for a safer pregnancy and that everything would turn out well for Tony and Ziva. Abby didn't think she or they could handle it if anything else went wrong.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed :) 22 chapters down, 8 to go! But, I have good news for you all that I will reveal in the author's note of my final chapter! So, if you want to know what I have planned, keep reading :) Please remember to review!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews and alerts :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Several weeks later, Ziva was lying in bed on her back, staring at the ceiling. She was ten weeks pregnant, and it was the day before her appointment. She was twelve short hours away from seeing her babies again, but she knew that this time was going to be more than just an ultrasound. The next day was also when she had arranged to get the stitch in her cervix to prevent another mid-to-late term miscarriage. Ziva and Tony both knew that this decision was in the best interest of everyone involved, but Ziva couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it nonetheless.

Ziva knew the procedure really wasn't dangerous. She couldn't quite explain her apprehension. It may have been the fact that she was simply excited for the appointment. It may also have been that, given her recent lack of good luck, she was subconsciously expecting something to go wrong anyway. She really didn't know for sure why she was feeling the way she was. So, she just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, running everything through her mind.

Tony came into the bedroom to see his wife lying quietly, staring into space. He was certain that she was thinking about her appointment tomorrow. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Tony knew that Ziva was nervous. Ziva was an expert at concealing her feelings, and she succeeded in keeping most people out. But not Tony. He could tell when something was bothering her, and right now, Ziva was not at peace with their situation. Tony walked quietly over to the bed and laid down beside her. Ziva didn't move.

"Ziva," he said gently. Ziva broke her stare away from the ceiling and turned to face her husband.

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"What's on your mind?" he asked in the same gentle manner. Ziva sighed and was silent. Tony looked deep into her eyes and saw the fear swimming in them. She had been scared ever since she had found out she was pregnant, and the farther along the pregnancy went, the more her fear intensified.

"Everything," she replied. "Tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow's a big day," Tony sighed and laid down on his back, putting his left arm behind his head for support.

"That is one way to put it," Ziva said. Tony reached his other hand out and took Ziva's hand in his.

"Hey," he said, getting her to meet his eyes. "Everything will go just fine tomorrow. I promise." Ziva smiled and her eyes fell upon Tony's bare shoulder. The scar reminded her of what happened several weeks prior, and she couldn't help but relate that to all of their bad luck over the past year.

"I suppose you are right," Ziva finally said, trying to put her fears aside. Logically, she had no reason to be worried. Everything was going perfectly normal. However, as illogical as it seemed, she still felt uneasy.

"Of course I am," Tony smiled. "So, are you ready to see them tomorrow?"

"I am," Ziva replied. "It seems like when I get to see them on that screen, my fears go away."

"Well that makes sense," Tony said. "When you see them, you see for yourself that everything is okay. It's not just people telling you it's okay." Ziva nodded at his reasoning.

"Well, I guess I should get to sleep," she yawned. "I do have a...big day tomorrow." Tony smiled sweetly and gave her a kiss before they both fell asleep.

The next morning, Ziva and Tony were leaving their apartment when they saw Janice coming up the hallway. She greeted them with a cheerful smile and hello.

"Where are you two off to so early?" she asked. "Working this morning?"

"No, it's actually the day of that appointment," Ziva replied.

"Ah," Janice sighed and offered an encouraging look. Ziva had confided in Janice about the procedure she was going to have. "Well, dear, I'm sure everything will go smoothly. I want to see the ultrasound pictures!"

"Of course," Ziva smiled.

"Not to be rude, but we'd better get going if we want to make the appointment," Tony chimed in. Janice offered her understanding and her blessing and Ziva and Tony proceeded to their car.

Although that previous night Ziva had been rather nervous, that morning she had strangely felt calm. She felt the anticipation start to resurface as they pulled into the parking lot. In a few short moments, she would be seeing her babies again in what she hoped would be a healthy environment. Tony gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before they exited the car and went inside. Once inside, they were shortly after directed into the familiar examination room to await Dr. Beckman.

"Everything going okay?" the doctor asked as she entered. Ziva told Dr. Beckman that there had been no problems as of yet and she felt normal.

Dr. Beckman prepared everything for the ultrasound and before they knew it, Tony and Ziva were looking at their babies once again. Two growing miracles on the screen. Dr. Beckman pointed out different features of each fetus, and just as Ziva had expected, any anxiety that she had felt disappeared. According to the doctor, everything was going perfectly.

When the ultrasound was over, Dr. Beckman left the room to allow Tony and Ziva some alone time between the ultrasound and Ziva's procedure. Ziva was feeling nervous, and Tony wanted to offer her some encouragement before it took place since he wasn't going to be in the room with her. He wanted to know that Ziva felt as comfortable as possible going into the procedure.

"Okay, what are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"I want this because I don't want another experience like before, but I am still nervous about it," Ziva admitted. "And it is stupid of me because it isn't a big deal."

"No, it isn't stupid of you," Tony assured her. "It affects our babies; of course you're going to feel this way. But everything will be fine."

"I know it will be," Ziva said. "I just cannot wait until the babies are here and all of this pays off."

"Me neither, Zi," Tony replied gently. He kissed her forehead and wished her good luck before leaving as Dr. Beckman reentered to get Ziva ready. As Tony left, he wished silently that everything for the rest of the pregnancy would go according to plan.

A few days later, Ziva was resting on the couch. Dr. Beckman had not made her go on full bed rest, but she had made Ziva promise that she would rest as much as possible. Ziva was eleven weeks pregnant, so Dr. Beckman wasn't afraid of the weight of the uterus causing too much strain yet, but she had warned Ziva that the farther along she got and the heavier she became, the more rest she would need. Although Dr. Beckman had not flat-out said it, Ziva sensed that at some point, she would be confined to complete bed rest. She just hoped it would be put off as long as possible.

"Can I get you anything?" Tony asked as he sat next to her side on the couch. Ziva shook her head and placed her hand on his knee.

"No, I am okay," she replied. Ziva loved how helpful and supportive Tony had been through everything. He constantly was making sure that she had everything she needed, and Ziva was certain that Tony spent all of his free time worrying about her. She knew that when the babies were born, Tony was going to be an excellent father.

"So," Tony began finally. He was trying to think of something to talk about. "Your next ultrasound...we can find out the sex of the babies, right?"

"Yes we can," Ziva replied. "Do you want to know this time?"

"Do you?" Tony returned the question. Ziva pondered the question for a moment.

"Well, we found out last time. We had everything prepared, and then when we lost him, it made it more real because it was like we lost our son, not just our unborn baby," she finally replied. Tony felt his heart drop a bit.

"Ziva, I know thinking about him still hurts you; it still hurts me too. But we can't relate everything about this pregnancy to your last one," Tony said carefully. Ziva nodded.

"It also takes away the surprise of finding out when they are born," she said. Tony nodded. That was true.

"Yes, but by finding out, we know if we need to prepare with boy or girl stuff," he reasoned. "Not everything would have to be neutral." Ziva saw his point. "But it's up to you."

"I want to find out," she finally decided.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, trying to hold back his happiness from his wife's decision. Ziva thought for another moment before nodding.

"I'm sure," she said.

"Alright then," Tony smiled. "We'll find out."

Ziva was glad that he was happy with the decision. She too wanted to know what they were having, but everything about this pregnancy had made her feel apprehensive, even though she tried to fight it. She had come to the conclusion that she probably got pregnant again too soon after the miscarriage so everything was still fresh in her mind which was why she was fearing everything about this pregnancy. But at the same time, she argued with herself by saying that she would have these worries even if it wasn't so soon after the miscarriage. Ziva knew the pain would never go away. The only thing she could do was try and set aside her worries and be happy about her current pregnancy. She hoped she could do that and enjoy the final several months.

As the next few weeks went by, Ziva found it more difficult to overcome her increasing exhaustion and found herself resting more and more, which is what the doctor had recommended. Her involvement at work had remained virtually the same; she did not attend crime scenes or any field work. She made her visits to Abby while the men were out, and she did her work from her desk. At seventeen weeks pregnant, Ziva was approaching the time in her previous pregnancy where she had lost the baby. This was taking a toll on her emotions. She found herself being more hormonal than usual and snapping at McGee and Tony more often at work. Even though they understood why, Ziva instantly felt bad after every time she lashed out. She was looking forward to getting through her pregnancy so she could get back to normal and stop having such drastic mood swings.

It was the morning of Ziva's next ultrasound, and she and Tony had decided to learn to genders of the babies. Both Tony and Ziva were extremely excited to be seeing the babies again, and they found some more excitement in knowing they would soon know what they were having. Although neither of them voiced it, they were both hoping for one boy and one girl. It seemed to be the most preferred outcome of twins, and Ziva and Tony both pictured how their children would be. Ziva was consumed in her thoughts about the appointment that she was having difficulty sleeping. She kept turning from one side, to her back, to her other side, and back again. She couldn't get comfortable and couldn't lay still. Her mind was overflowing with emotions, excitement and anxiety being the main two. While she was rolling over one time, her foot slipped and she accidentally kicked Tony who was laying beside her. He propped up and turned over to face her.

"Sorry!" she whispered apologetically.

"It's okay," Tony laughed. "What's the matter? You've been tossing and turning all night."

"Did I wake you up?" Ziva asked, a bit of guilt in her voice.

"Wake me up?" Tony repeated. "I haven't been able to fall asleep."

"Sorry," Ziva repeated.

"It's okay, babe. You're nervous about tomorrow," he stated. Ziva nodded.

"I just want it to be here," she said.

"Me too," Tony agreed.

"I can't wait to meet them," Ziva thought out loud. Tony smiled as Ziva laid still. He wondered if she subconsciously had just wanted someone to talk to.

"I can't either. They'll be beautiful," he said. "Just like their mommy," he added and winked at Ziva when she turned to face him.

"Well, you certainly had some help with that," she laughed. Tony shrugged his shoulders and stifled a big yawn, which Ziva noticed.

"I am sorry that I kept you up," she said. Tony could tell that she meant it and he smiled inwardly at how apologetic Ziva was being.

"It's okay," he said, shaking his head. "Just try and get some sleep."

"Alright," Ziva said. "Good night."

"Good night," Tony returned before kissing Ziva's forehead. Tony rolled over and quickly fell asleep, while Ziva laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to drift away herself. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she succeeded.

Hours later, Ziva was sitting on the examination table in that same familiar room. Tony was sitting beside her in a chair and was holding her hand. They were waiting for Dr. Beckman and both were consumed in their own excitement. When they were leaving that morning, that had seen Janice and told her that they were going to find out the sexes of the babies. Janice had been very excited for the two of them and had requested that they tell her as soon as they get home. Tony and Ziva promised, although they both knew that the first people they would tell would certainly be their coworkers. Abby had been nearly over the top with joy, waiting to hear what her godchildren were. Finally, Dr. Beckman entered the room.

"So, we're going to try and find out the genders today?" she asked as she prepared the room for the ultrasound.

"Yes," Ziva replied.

"Alright," Dr. Beckman smiled. "Well, let's see what we have here." She applied the cold gel and moments later, the babies were on the screen once again. Ziva and Tony noticed the growth that had taken place since the last ultrasound and were in awe of their creations in front of them. Neither of them could believe that in a few short months, they would be holding those babies in their arms.

"How is it looking?" Tony asked, finally being the first to speak between him and Ziva.

"Excellent," Dr. Beckman replied as she pointed out different features. "Are you ready to know the genders?"

"We are," Ziva replied and subconsciously held her breath while she awaited the news. Dr. Beckman pointed at a familiar looking spot on the screen.

"It looks like you're having a boy and a girl," she told them. Tony and Ziva were ecstatic. That was exactly what they had wanted.

After the ultrasound, they had thanked Dr. Beckman and headed home. Neither of them could find the proper words to describe their happiness as they kept replaying the ultrasound in their minds. When they had gotten home, they had called Gibbs, Abby, and McGee and told them all the news. Their coworkers were very excited for them as well. Tony and Ziva could hear Abby beaming through the phone line. After telling their team, they had gone next door to tell Janice as well. She too was overcome with happiness for the couple. Tony and Ziva went to bed that night completely content with how things were going for them. The pregnancy was going well and they were expecting a boy and a girl. Everything was perfect, and they hoped that it could just stay that way.

0-0-0

**A/N:** There you go! One of each! Also, if it seems like I'm rushing through this pregnancy, I apologize, but I do plan on focusing on the most important details of it. Other than that, I'm not going to dwell so much on the morning sickness and whatnot like I did with the first one. Seven chapters to go! Please review!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

A twenty-weeks pregnant Ziva was sitting at her desk looking through a file that Gibbs had given her. She was feeling very tired, but since Dr. Beckman had not told her she couldn't go to work, Ziva refused to stay home. She wanted some contact with other people because at home, all she could do was rest. As Ziva was scanning through the pages of the file, she drew her hand up to her head. She had a terrible headache and wished she could take an aspirin. Unfortunately, she just had to deal with the pain.

Tony glanced up at his wife and noticed she was in pain. He thought it may be stress related, especially now that she was twenty weeks pregnant. The past few days Ziva had been extra moody, and Tony knew it was because she was at the stage in her pregnancy where she had lost her first baby. He had done his best to help her through the past few days, and he hoped that once Ziva was through this stage in her pregnancy, she wouldn't continue relating everything back to her first pregnancy. It was adding stress to her life that wasn't good for her or the babies.

Ziva closed her eyes in pain and took a drink from the water bottle that was sitting on her desk before massaging her temples. Over the next few minutes, she pain slowly began to decrease until it was to a point where Ziva could focus on her work again instead of the pain in her head. For the rest of the work day, Ziva's headache didn't escalate back to that degree of pain, which she was grateful for.

"You feeling alright?" Tony asked as he was driving home. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"I am so sick of everyone asking me that," she snapped. Tony was quiet and Ziva instantly felt bad. She hated that she kept lashing out at everyone.

"It just seemed like you felt worse today than usual," Tony said quietly. Ziva sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "And I had a horrible headache at work."

"Is it gone?" Tony asked concerned.

"For the most part," Ziva replied. "Other than that, nothing too out of the ordinary. I'm just really tired...and my feet hurt pretty bad."

"Why?" Tony asked, shooting her a confused look. "You haven't been on them."

"I do not know why," Ziva replied. "I just want to get home so I can lay down."

Minutes later, Tony and Ziva entered their apartment and Ziva headed straight toward the bedroom. Tony followed her to make sure she got settled in alright. Ziva laid on the bed, clearly exhausted, and Tony went to take her shoes off for her. Ziva winced in pain as he pulled them off slowly.

"Oh my God," he said under his breath. "Look how swollen they are." Ziva looked down and saw that her ankles and feet were rather swollen.

"Why are they swollen?" she groaned.

"I don't know," Tony said, shaking his head. "But, here, let's get them elevated." He put some extra pillows under Ziva's feet to prop them up. Tony then went and got her a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"Thank you," Ziva said when he returned.

"You're welcome," Tony replied. He leaned over her and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. "Let me know if you need anything else." Ziva nodded and Tony turned out the light as he left the room. He sighed, hoping nothing was going wrong, and went to the living room to order in some food for dinner. After he had called in his order, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" he wondered out loud, knowing it couldn't be the delivery man yet. He opened the door to see Janice standing in front of him, smiling.

"Hello," she greeted. "Is Ziva around?"

"She's in bed," Tony replied.

"Aw, is she not feeling well?" Janice asked.

"She's having a hard day," Tony replied. "She had a pretty bad headache at work today and her feet and ankles were swollen when we got home." A concerned look crossed Janice's face.

"Has she seen a doctor?" she asked.

"No," Tony replied, a small sense of panic growing in his stomach. "Why? You don't think it's serious, do you?"

"I don't know. I'm not a doctor," Janice replied. "I suppose it could be though. I would definitely keep a close eye on her."

"I am," Tony assured her. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his wife or babies. "But, I'm sorry, what did you need?"

"Oh!" Janice exclaimed as she remembered her reason for stopping over. "I was just wondering if you've picked out names for the babies yet."

"Why?" Tony asked as a smile crossed his face.

"It's a surprise," Janice smiled back. "But have you two chosen names?" Tony nodded.

"Aiden and Aaliyah," he replied. Janice smiled thoughtfully.

"Those are beautiful choices," she said.

"So, what's the surprise?" Tony asked.

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it," Janice pointed out in a motherly tone.

"Alright," Tony chuckled. "Good night, Janice."

"Good night, Tony," she replied. "Tell Ziva I said hello, and I hope she feels better." Tony promised he would give Ziva the message, and Janice left.

Going back to the couch, Tony's conversation with Janice was playing in his mind. It didn't surprise him that she was planning a surprise for the babies. He was actually glad she was; it would probably make Ziva happy, which Tony was finding hard to do. Ziva was being so moody, and even when she wasn't, she constantly felt either tired or sick. It was a hard pregnancy for her. Tony knew he was doing everything he could for her, but he just wished that the pregnancy was easier for her. He wanted to see real happiness in his wife again.

A few hours later, Tony went into their bedroom to go to bed. Ziva was lying on her back with her feet propped up like Tony had left her. When he laid down next to her, he saw something that made his heart drop. Ziva's cheeks were lines with tear stains. Why had she been crying? Was the pain worse than what she had admitted? Or was she thinking about Landon again? Regardless of what it was, Tony felt guilty for not being there for her.

"Ziva," he whispered, not sure if she was asleep or not.

"Hmm," she sighed, turning her head to face him and slowly opening her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked gently. Ziva blinked a few times to focus her vision and felt the dried tears on her cheeks. She knew instantly what Tony was referring to and quickly wiped the streaks away.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Come on, you can tell me," Tony said. "Are you in pain?"

"It is not that," Ziva replied slowly. "Well, some of it...but I am just scared."

"Of what?" Tony asked softly. Ziva took a deep, ragged breath before anwering.

"I have not been feeling well," she began. "And today I had that horrible headache...I just cannot stop thinking about the day I lost Landon. I felt sick and had a bad headache that day as well...It just brought back too many horrible feelings today."

"Aw, Zi," Tony said, bringing his hand up to place her hair behind her ear. "It's okay. You can talk to me about this stuff."

"I know," Ziva replied. "I just do not want to worry you."

"Coming in here and seeing that you have been crying worries me," Tony pointed out. Ziva offered a small smile in response to that.

"My feet still hurt," she said, changing the subject. Tony glanced down at them.

"They're still swollen," he observed. "Do you want to go to the doctor?" Ziva thought for a moment.

"If nothing had changed by morning, then yes," she decided. Tony nodded his agreement and kissed her good night before they both fell asleep.

Hours later, Tony and Ziva were awaken by their alarm clock. Tony turned in off and rolled over to see Ziva struggling to wake up. She stretched her arms out above her head and her eyes fluttered until they finally remained open. Ziva wiped the sleep from her eyes and blinked until they focused.

"Feeling better?" Tony asked.

"I feel sick," Ziva replied. She placed her right hand on her pregnant belly and looked down at her feet which were still swollen. "Damn it," she sighed.

"How's your head?" Tony asked.

"Sore, but not too bad," Ziva replied. "I just feel nauseous and tired." Tony thought for a moment. Ziva was nauseous and tired and her feet and ankles were still swollen. He decided that she needed to see a doctor before anything got any worse.

"I'm taking you to see Dr. Beckman," he told her. Ziva did not protest, but simply nodded her head. Tony quickly got dressed and left the room to call the doctor and then to call Gibbs. After speaking to Dr. Beckman, he was on the phone with his boss.

"Yeah, Gibbs," Gibbs answered from the other line.

"Hey boss," Tony said, leaning against the wall in the hallway. "Ziva and I are going to be late to work."

"Is everything okay?" Gibbs asked through the phone. Tony's sigh told Gibbs that he wasn't sure.

"Ziva isn't feeling well. She's been having headaches and she's exhausted and nauseous. Her feet and ankles are swollen," Tony explained. "I'm taking her to the doctor to see what's going on."

"Alright. Keep me posted," Gibbs instructed kindly.

"Will do, boss," Tony replied. He hung up and went back into the bedroom to see Ziva sitting up. "We can leave whenever you're ready." Ziva looked at him with a helpless look in her eyes. Tony ached for her; he had never seen her quite this miserable.

"I am so tired," she said weakly. "And it will hurt to stand." Tony crossed the room quickly and put his arm around Ziva's waist. She put her arm around his shoulder, resting her weight on him. Tony helped her down to the car, nearly carrying her the whole way.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Tony tried to assure his wife during the drive. Ziva didn't reply; she was staring blankly out the window. When Tony pulled into the parking lot, he instructed Ziva to wait in the car while he went in to request a wheelchair to transport her inside. Ziva sat in the parking lot, ashamed at how helpless she was being. She had endured a lot of pain in her life, and she had never been this helpless. She had always battled through it. But this was different. Tony returned with the wheelchair and minutes later, they were in the examination room awaiting Dr. Beckman.

"Hello," she greeted upon entering. "What do we have going on?"

"I have been staying at my desk at work and resting at home like you suggested," Ziva began. "But lately I have been feeling completely exhausted. I have also had terrible headaches and have felt nauseous. And my feet and ankles have been swollen." Dr. Beckman looked down to see what Ziva was referring to.

"Well, I would say you're showing signs of preeclampsia," Dr. Beckman observed. "I'll need a urine sample." The doctor helped Ziva into the bathroom and gave her a plastic cup. She waited outside until Ziva came back out and handed her the sample.

"I will be back in a few minutes," Dr. Beckman promised after returning Ziva to her room.

"Preeclampsia," Ziva muttered in disbelief. "Why is this happening to us?"

"I don't know, Ziva," Tony replied honestly.

"I had a miscarriage. Our relationship nearly fell apart. You got shot. I had to get a stitch in my cervix because it is incompetent. Now, I could possibly have preeclampsia," Ziva listed, feeling more helpless. She turned and gave Tony a very serious look. "Are we cursed or something?" Tony concealed a frustrated chuckle; the same thoughts had crossed his mind.

"I hope not," he sighed. "But no matter what, we'll make this work. It'll be okay." Ziva nodded, hoping he was right.

"Okay," Dr. Beckman said as she reentered the room. "The results showed protein in your urine sample, which confirms my diagnosis."

"So I do have preeclampsia?" Ziva asked.

"Yes," Dr. Beckman nodded. "But we can work with this."

"How?" Ziva asked.

"I am putting you on bed rest," Dr. Beckman began. "Rest as much as possible. Your blood pressure isn't cause for major concern yet, but I will be checking it regularly. I want you to come see me every two weeks until you have reached thirty-two weeks pregnant. Then, I will be seeing you on a weekly basis until delivery."

"What if it gets worse?" Ziva asked worriedly.

"Well, if worst comes to worst, we may have to have an early delivery," Dr. Beckman replied. "It is really the only _cure_ for preeclampsia. But, if that needs to happen, it will not be for several more weeks. Right now, just focus on what I told you." Ziva sighed and held back her tears.

"Why is this happening?" she asked. "What causes this?"

"There is no one definite cause," Dr. Beckman replied. "But many factors could have triggered it. Considering you have been in good health and shape, it isn't caused by being overweight or anything like that. It is possible that there may have been some sort of history of this condition in your family. Also, the fact that you are carrying multiple babies increases your chances of preeclampsia. I really cannot tell for sure. But, I can assure you that if you follow my directions, you and your babies should be just fine." Dr. Beckman offered Tony and Ziva a smile to assure them.

"Alright, well thank you, doctor," Tony said when he realized Ziva wasn't going to speak. Dr. Beckman scheduled Ziva's next appointment for two weeks ahead before the couple left for home.

The drive home was silent. Ziva was still feeling helpless and was upset at the news she had just heard. She was confined to bed rest. She couldn't go to work, and the only human contact she would receive besides Tony would be if anyone came to visit her. Ziva hated the feeling of not being able to be independent. She was miserable. When they got home, Tony helped Ziva into bed and excused himself to call Gibbs and fill him in.

"Hey, boss," Tony said when Gibbs had answered the phone.

"How's Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

"The doctor said Ziva had preeclampsia," Tony replied. On the other line, Gibbs closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He had hoped that this pregnancy would go smoothly for them.

"How is she doing now?" Gibbs asked.

"She's pretty upset," Tony replied. "She's on bed rest."

"Well, you know she won't like that," Gibbs said. Tony nodded.

"Yeah I know," he said into the phone. "It seems like this just keeps getting harder and harder for us."

"Do what you need to do to be there for your wife, Tony," Gibbs instructed.

"I will, boss," Tony replied. Gibbs wished Tony and Ziva good luck, and they hung up. Tony went to the bedroom and peaked in on Ziva who appeared to be sleeping. He left the apartment and went to knock on Janice's door. When Janice answered, she was clearly shocked to see Tony.

"Oh, I thought you were at work," she said. "Come in."

"No, it's okay," Tony declined. "I'm not staying long. I just need to ask a favor of you."

"What is it?" Janice asked.

"Well, I took Ziva to the doctor today," Tony said.

"And?" Janice asked, her concern growing.

"She has preeclampsia, and the doctor put her on bed rest," Tony finished.

"Oh dear," Janice groaned. "I am so sorry. But what can I do?"

"Well, Ziva can't go to work anymore, but I have to," Tony replied. "I was wondering if you would be willing to come over and stay with her during the days while I'm at work. It's not like she needs twenty-four hour supervision or anything, but she does need someone there to make sure she has everything she needs, and it would make me feel a lot better knowing that someone is with her when I'm not."

"Absolutely," Janice nodded.

"You'd be okay with that?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Of course," Janice replied. "I'm retired, after all. It's not like I have big plans every day. I'd be more than happy to stay with her."

"Great," Tony smiled. "I'm staying home the rest of the day, but if you could start coming over tomorrow, that would be wonderful."

"Not a problem," Janice said, returning the smile.

"Okay," Tony said. "Thanks, Janice."

"You're welcome," Janice replied. Tony left and went back to his own apartment. He went into his and Ziva's bedroom and sat on the bed next to her.

"Tony," she said quietly.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I have been thinking," Ziva said. She turned to face her husband, and Tony could tell that something big was on her mind.

"About what?" he asked.

"Well, I have put a lot of thought into this, and I think that after I have the twins, it would be best if I get my tubes tied," Ziva said. Tony was slightly taken aback by Ziva's response. He had had no idea that his wife had been contemplating surgery.

"What?" he asked. It hadn't completely sunk in.

"Well, I will be perfectly happy with just two kids. A boy and a girl. You were not going to want anymore, were you?" Ziva asked. Tony shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Two is fine with me. But are you sure you want to have surgery?"

"I have thought everything through," Ziva replied. Tony could tell that she had. "If I do not have this surgery, we would be risking another pregnancy. I have not had good luck with pregnancies. I think it would just be best if I eliminate the possibility of getting pregnant again."

"If you're sure..." Tony said.

"I am positive," Ziva replied. "I think that after everything we have been through, we should just be happy with Aiden and Aaliyah."

"We will be," Tony assured her. "And if this is _really_ what you want to do, you know I'll support you. It was just a shock...you haven't mentioned anything about it."

"Well the idea is still relatively new," Ziva admitted. "But today when I found out about the preeclampsia, my mind was made up. I cannot risk getting pregnant again and putting my health and another baby's health at risk."

"I completely see where you're coming from," Tony said.

"So, you're okay with this?" Ziva asked. Tony smiled down at her.

"If this is what will make you happy, and it's what you want, then yes I'm okay with it," he replied.

"Good," Ziva smiled. "I'm glad you are so understanding."

"Of course," Tony replied. "Now, why don't you get some sleep." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Will you stay with me?" Ziva asked quietly. Tony smiled; he couldn't say no to the look in her eyes. He laid down in bed next to her and held her until they both fell asleep.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, that was a long one. I hope you are enjoying it so far! There's only 6 more chapters to go! Please review!


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:**Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony was driving to work alone. He kept looking at the passenger seat, half expecting to see Ziva sitting in it. His mind kept drifting back to Ziva laying in bed feeling miserable while he left for work. Janice was with her, and he knew she would take good care of Ziva, but Tony couldn't fight the feeling of guilt. He wanted to be with Ziva; he had promised her after they had reconciled that he wouldn't leave her again when she needed him. Well, she definitely needed him now, but he wasn't there. Granted, he knew that he was just going to work and would be there for her as soon as possible, but he felt as though he should be with his wife. Would he even be productive at work without Ziva? After all, he had previously admitted that without Ziva, work lost its meaning.

Finally, he pulled into the parking garage and turned off the car. He took a long sip of coffee before exiting the car and entering work alone. When he got to his desk, Tony couldn't help staring at Ziva's. Was he constantly going to be reminded of his wife? He sighed and put his head in his hands.

"This is going to be a long day," he whispered.

Meanwhile back at their apartment, Ziva was lying in bed wide awake. She had woken up when Tony was getting ready for work and had not been able to fall back asleep. Bed rest was already driving her crazy and it was only her first full day. She was thrilled that Janice had agreed to stay at their apartment during the days; otherwise Ziva was convince she would go completely insane. Almost as if on queue, the bedroom door opened slowly and Janice peeked in.

"Hello," Ziva greeted quietly.

"Good morning," Janice replied, fully opening the door and entering the room.

"What time is it?" Ziva asked. She didn't know how long ago Tony had left.

"8:00," Janice replied, looking at the clock on Ziva's bedside table. Ziva turned her head and smiled at herself, realizing it had been a silly question. "How do you feel?"

"Bored," Ziva replied shortly. "I do not like being confined like this."

"I can imagine," Janice smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "But you know it's for your own good...and the good of the babies." Janice added the last part with a twinkle in her eye. She was so happy for Tony and Ziva.

"Yes I know," Ziva said. Everyone had seemed to be reminding her.

"So can I get you anything?" Janice asked. Ziva let out a long, frustrated sigh. She appreciated Janice visiting, but Ziva felt bad expecting people to take care of her, even considering her condition.

"Not right now, thanks," she said.

"Do you want to talk?" Janice asked after a long moment. She knew Ziva was upset, and she wanted to let Ziva know that she was there if she wanted to talk.

"I am just sick of everything going wrong for us," Ziva finally admitted. "My first pregnancy was a miscarriage. My second pregnancy, I have preeclampsia."

"Well," Janice began, "they say no two pregnancies are ever alike. So, who knows, maybe your next pregnancy will be nice and smooth." Ziva perked up at Janice's words, and Janice noticed Ziva's shocked expression.

"There is not going to be another pregnancy," Ziva informed her quietly.

"Oh," Janice said, her face falling slightly.

"I just do not want to risk it again," Ziva explained. "I have talked to Tony and we both agree that it is for the best."

"So, is he getting...?" Janice implied the rest of the question. Ziva took a moment to process and jumped slightly when the meaning of Janice's words sunk in.

"No," she replied. "I decided that I will get my tubes tied."

"You know, a tubal ligation could be dangerous," Janice said, slight protest audible in her tone.

"But the risks of another pregnancy could be moreso," Ziva countered.

"Have you thought about asking Tony-"

"No," Ziva interjected. "I do not want that, and I am sure he does not either. The way I see it, while I am in the hospital, after the babies are born, I can have the surgery and just get everything over with at the same time. That is how a friend of mine did it; it is where I got the idea."

"I see," Janice said thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sure you're doing what you feel is right."

"I am," Ziva sighed. "This whole experience has been hard on both of us. I just hope Tony does not do anything else stupid."

"Oh, I don't see why he would," Janice said. "He loves you, and he knows in just a few months you and those two babies are going to need him. He wouldn't mess that up. And I can tell by the way he acts toward you, and even the way he talks about you when you're not around. You have nothing to worry about." Ziva was pleased by Janice's honesty. She knew how Tony felt about her, but she hadn't realized that he had made it quite so obvious to others. She was lucky to have someone like him to count on.

"I think I am going to try and go back to sleep," Ziva said.

"Alright," Janice replied. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything." Janice left and Ziva smiled while rubbing her stomach. Feeling connected to both her husband and her babies, she finally fell back asleep.

Back at NCIS headquarters, Tony was finding it hard to concentrate on his work. It was nearing four o'clock, and he wasn't even halfway done with his work. He knew at this rate, it would be hours before he could return home. Tony had had no idea that work was going to be quite so difficult without Ziva across from him.

"Tony," McGee said from Tony's right.

"Yeah, probie," Tony answered, not looking over at him.

"I'm, uh, sorry to hear about Ziva," McGee said, unsure of what to say. "I hope that she is feeling better," he finished carefully.

"Thanks," Tony replied shortly. There was a tense silence before McGee spoke again.

"I hope that you feel better soon too," he said. Tony put his pen down on his desk and turned toward McGee, a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean, probie?" he asked, trying to sound as normal as possible. McGee saw right through it.

"Tony, she's your wife. She hurts, you hurt. I just want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm more than willing to listen," McGee replied. Tony felt that McGee's offer was genuine, and he was grateful for that. McGee had certainly grown up a lot since he and Tony had first met.

"Thanks," Tony said genuinely. He even offered a smile. "I mean it."

"No problem," McGee returned. "And I mean it too."

McGee turned back to his own desk, and Tony suddenly remembered months ago when he and Ziva were having problems. Tony hadn't been there for her, so Ziva had turned to McGee. Tony had never addressed that directly, and he knew that if he ever wanted to, now was the time to do it. McGee felt Tony's gaze still on him and looked up to meet Tony's eyes.

"Yes?" he asked. Tony took a deep breath before beginning.

"I want to thank you," he said.

"You just did," McGee reminded him. "But you're welcome, Tony."

"No, not for that," Tony continued. "A few months ago, I was being an ass. Ziva reached out to you, and you were there for her. Thank you for being there and being a good friend to her." McGee smiled; he was truly touched that Tony would not only bring this up, but thank him for something that happened months ago.

"You're welcome," McGee repeated. "I have really come to think of you both as my friends, and I am just glad that I could help her out."

"You did," Tony assured him.

"You know, Tony," McGee said after another long moment of silence. "Gibbs has been out for quite a while now, and he knows what's going on. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you went on home for the night."

"What?" Tony asked, a bit bewildered.

"Don't worry. I can finish everything myself," McGee said. "You go on and be with Ziva."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. He couldn't believe McGee was offering this.

"I am," McGee replied. Tony smiled and was genuinely happy. He and McGee may have their moments when they argue and pick on each other, but when it really matters, they are there for each other, and McGee just proved that. Tony stood and gathered his things to leave.

"Thanks, Tim," he said, using McGee's first name. "For everything."

0-0-0

**A/N:** I know, it was kind of short. But there are only 5 chapters left, and I promise you that satisfaction is guaranteed with all 5 of them. They each have important events :) I hope you enjoyed this though, and please review!


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Hello! Thanks for reviewing and the alerts! So, I went over my timeline of the past 25 chapters, and according to how I deciphered it, it is around February in the story now. Also, I apologize for disappearing for the past couple of weeks. I've been super busy with work and my birthday (I'm 19 now!) and getting ready to go on vacation. But, I'm back! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Over the next several days, Ziva's mindset had not improved. She hated being confined to bed rest and wanted to be able to leave her apartment. When Tony was at work, she was overly bored, even though she did appreciate Janice being there. Even when Tony was home, she couldn't find enjoyment in her days. Sure, Tony tried to keep her happy. He would cook for her, make sure she had everything she needed, watch movies with her, and spend as much time with her as possible, but Ziva craved interaction with others. Abby had visited twice, but Ziva understood that she was busy with her own life. All Ziva could do was lay around and try to make the best of her situation, which she was finding impossible to do.

One morning, Ziva was lying in bed a couple hours after Tony had left for work. She felt wide awake, and she could hear Janice in the kitchen. Ziva turned her head and looked out her bedroom window at the outdoor scene. There was a thin blanket of snow covering the ground, and the tree branch outside her window was frozen with icicles dangling from it. Ziva watched as the branch slightly wavered as the cool winter breeze blew. She closed her eyes and imagined being outside, hearing the snow crunch under her feet and feeling the wind in her hair and against her skin. When her eyes opened, they fell upon the window latch. Slowly and carefully, Ziva sat up in bed. She paused for a moment to make sure Janice wasn't on her way toward the bedroom. When Ziva was confident that Janice wasn't coming to check on her, she slipped her legs out from under the covers and stood up slowly. Ziva rarely got out of bed, and her body was sore from her condition and the fact she had been in bed for the past several hours. With caution, Ziva proceeded to the window and unlocked it before pushing it open. Instantly, the cold air filled the room and the scent of the outdoors filled Ziva's nostrils. Feeling as though she hadn't been outside in an eternity, Ziva stood there taking in the beauty of the world in front of her. She barely heard her bedroom door opening behind her.

"You're up," Janice observed. Ziva turned around to face her neighbor.

"Yes," she replied.

"What are you doing?" Janice asked.

"It looked so inviting," Ziva said. "I wanted to feel the fresh air again." Janice offered a sympathetic smile.

"It seems like you've been inside a lot longer than you actually have been, I know," she said gently. "But when the day finally comes that you've been waiting for, and you hold your babies for the first time, all of this will seem like nothing."

"June seems very far away," Ziva sighed, referring to her due date. "I am sure I will go crazy living like this for that much longer."

"I know it seems like that now," Janice said. "But it really will be here before you know it." Ziva silently hoped that Janice was right. "Would you like to come out into the living room?"

"Yes, please," Ziva replied. Janice went to the couch and laid a pillow on one end and a folded up blanket on the other end. Ziva sat on the couch, using the pillow to support her back.

"Are you comfortable?" Janice asked. Ziva nodded. She was really getting annoyed that everyone had to look out for her like that. She didn't like not being independent, and it bothered her more and more as time went on.

"What is the date?" Ziva asked. "I lose track quite a bit, being in bed so much."

"February thirteenth," Janice replied, checking her calendar. Ziva nodded; just a little over four months until her due date. "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day," Janice added.

"Not that I am able to enjoy it," Ziva sighed.

"You don't need to go anywhere to enjoy Valentine's Day," Janice smiled at her. "But why don't you lay down and make sure you're resting." Janice handed Ziva the remote for the television and Ziva turned it to a tv movie. She let the movie play as she became consumed in her thoughts.

At work, Tony was down in Abby's lab because Gibbs had sent him down to her with a new piece of evidence regarding their current case. Gibbs had gone out for coffee as Tony was heading down to the lab, so Tony figured he had time to talk to Abby before he needed to go back upstairs.

"It's strange not having Ziva here at all," Abby said, breaking the silence. She knew Tony wanted to talk, so she initiated the conversation.

"Yeah it is," he agreed.

"So how is she doing?" Abby asked.

"She's pretty depressed," Tony replied honestly. "She hates bed rest. She's uncomfortable and just miserable."

"Poor thing," Abby pouted sympathetically. "She really doesn't deserve any of this."

"I know," Tony agreed. "She just wants the babies to be born so she can go back to feeling healthy and being with other people."

"I can imagine," Abby sympathized. "But that actually reminds me of something I wanted to run past you."

"What would that be?" Tony asked.

"Well, the first time, I was going to throw Ziva a baby shower," Abby began. "I had planned to this time too, but now with all these issues, she wouldn't really be able to attend one, so I was thinking I could maybe bring a shower to her. I could invite the women like I had planned and we could just have the baby shower in your apartment. Would you and Ziva be okay with that idea?" A huge smile crossed Tony's face and he was extremely grateful for Abby's suggestion. Ziva wanted social interaction, and this would be just the right thing to bring a smile to her face.

"Of course I'm okay with it," Tony said. "And Ziva would love to see you."

"Okay, great," Abby smiled. "We can have it right in your living room. It won't be anything big, obviously. Just some women getting together. We'll have food and presents. I'm sure there are games that Ziva can do from the couch." Tony laughed as he thought of Ziva participating in baby shower games. But at this point, she would probably do anything if it meant being around other people.

"Alright, well you have fun planning that. Just let me know when you plan on doing it," Tony said. Abby promised that she would let him know in a couple of days, and Tony went back upstairs to get back to work.

When Tony got home that night, Ziva was back in bed. He was a few hours later than usual, and when he entered the bedroom it was completely dark. The only light was the light from the moon shining in through the window. He quietly changed clothes and got into bed next to his wife. Ziva didn't stir at all as he kissed the top of her head and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Ziva slowly came out of her slumber to the feeling of her hair being lightly tugged. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Tony sitting on the edge of the bed, already fully clothed for work, playing with her hair and watching her sleep.

"You haven't left yet?" she yawned and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Tony shook his head.

"I couldn't leave without giving you these," he replied and pulled a bouquet of roses from behind his back. "The red one is to symbolize our one complete year of marriage, and the white ones symbolize each month that has passed since our anniversary. We're well on our way to a second red rose." Tony gave her his signature smile, and Ziva couldn't help but smile back. She was overcome with happiness at the thought that Tony had put into the gift.

"Thank you," she said sitting up. "They are beautiful." Ziva accepted the flowers from her husband and leaned in to smell them. As Tony ran his fingers through her hair, he was happy to see that Ziva was finally experiencing some joy again. He had been longing to see a real smile on her face for such a long time.

"You're welcome. Happy Valentine's Day," Tony replied.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Ziva smiled. She stretched her arms out to hug him and placed a passionate kiss on his lips. Moments later, they heard a knock on the front door and knew it was Janice.

"I guess I should get going," Tony sighed, looking deeply into Ziva's eyes.

"Okay," she said. "Thanks again for the flowers." She offered another heartfelt smile which Tony returned.

"Anything for you," he replied with a flirtatious wink which received a small chuckle from Ziva. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ziva replied. Tony left the bedroom to let Janice inside and then left for work.

At work, everyone could notice Tony's good mood, and they were quite confused by it. Lately, he had clearly been distracted due to Ziva's situation, but today he looked strangely at peace. As he took his seat at his desk, Tony could feel McGee watching him from across the room.

"Yes, probie?" he asked.

"You seem rather chipper this morning," McGee observed. Tony smiled and looked over at his coworker.

"And why wouldn't I be? I just spent Valentine's Day morning with the most wonderful woman in the world," he replied in a carefree manner. "It's been a good day so far."

"So is Ziva feeling any better then?" McGee asked hopefully.

"She cheered up a bit this morning," Tony replied. "After I left work last night, I stopped and got her some flowers. She loved them. It was the first time I've seen a real smile from her in what seems like ages."

"Well that was very nice of you," McGee nodded. "I'm glad things are starting to look up."

"Thanks," Tony sighed. "I just hate seeing her so depressed. I wanted her to be happy again soon. I mean, I know Abby's planning a baby shower for her, but who knows when that's going to be."

"Actually, I have just the answer for you!" Abby exclaimed as she rounded the corner into the bullpen. She had come up from her lab and looked just as chipper as always.

"Good morning, Abby," McGee greeted her.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Timmy," she smiled at him. McGee returned the greeting and smile before Abby turned back to Tony.

"You've picked a date for the shower?" Tony asked her. Abby nodded.

"Yep! How does Saturday sound?" she asked.

"Which Saturday?" Tony asked.

"This one!" Abby replied. Tony looked at the calendar and noticed how soon this was.

"Abby, don't you think that's kind of short notice?" he asked. "I mean, can you really plan a whole shower by this Saturday?" Abby was grinning ear to ear and Tony noticed a slight look of embarrassment was threatening to cross her face before she replied.

"Well, you see, I kind of already have everything ready," she replied. "I already bought the decorations during the first pregnancy. Food will be no problem, and I've already talked to a bunch of women. I think the sooner we can raise Ziva's spirits, the better!" Tony shrugged; he couldn't argue with that logic.

"Well, if you really think you can have everything ready by Saturday, then it's absolutely fine with me," Tony said. "I can leave when you get there, and you can have the afternoon for the shower."

"Great!" Abby squealed. "Okay, thanks. I'll have everything ready, and it will be so fun!" Tony smiled as he watched the bubbly scientist nearly skip back to the elevator to go back to her lab. He was so grateful that Abby was going to throw a shower for Ziva, and he hoped that everything went well. Ziva deserved it.

The rest of the week went by surprisingly quickly, and soon it was Saturday morning. Tony woke up and made eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast. When Ziva woke up, Tony served her breakfast in bed and sat next to her as she ate. Abby had told him not to ruin the surprise for Ziva, but Tony thought Ziva should at least be somewhat presentable for the shower, so while he watched her eat, he thought of how to suggest it to her without ruining the surprise.

"So, uh, Abby's coming over in a few hours," he decided to say. Ziva looked at him with excitement in her eyes. She loved when Abby visited.

"When?" she asked.

"Around one," Tony replied. Ziva looked at the clock and realized it was ten o'clock.

"Alright. I have time," she sighed. When she finished eating, Ziva brushed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail and changed into black sweat pants and a t-shirt. She and Tony laid in bed until twelve thirty when Abby texted Tony to tell him she was outside the apartment.

"Well, you get your rest," he said lamely, not able to think of an excuse to leave. Ziva looked confused at him as he kissed her head and excused himself from the room.

"She's awake," Tony whispered as soon as he opened the door. "So you'll have to be quiet." Abby nodded and entered the apartment. She had balloons and baby shower decorations with her. Quickly, she explained to Tony how she wanted the room decorated, and within fifteen minutes, she was satisfied. The two of them set the food up on the counter in the kitchen, and by one o'clock, the baby shower was ready. Abby excused herself to go outside and wait on the women to arrive so they could surprise Ziva at once.

"Alright," Tony whispered. "I'll go on back into the bedroom, and you come on in when you're ready to bring her out." Abby nodded her agreement and left.

"Where did you go?" Ziva asked when Tony reentered.

"Just had to make a phone call," he replied lamely. Ziva gave him a questioning look but he dropped the subject.

"So whatcha watching?" he asked as he sat next to her on the bed.

"Nothing really," Ziva replied, turning off the television. "Is Abby here yet?"

"No," Tony replied.

"It is ten after one," Ziva observed as she checked the clock. "You are sure she is coming today?"

"Positive," Tony replied. Seconds later, Tony and Ziva heard the front door open and then Abby came into their bedroom.

"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Abby," Ziva replied.

"How are you feeling?" Abby asked from the doorway.

"I am feeling alright today," Ziva replied.

"Good," Abby replied with a smile. "That's great to hear."

"You can come on in if you'd like," Ziva offered and Abby shook her head.

"Actually, why don't we hang out in the living room instead?" she suggested. Ziva shrugged and decided to go along with it. She got out of bed and let Abby lead her down the hallway.

"Why are all the lights off?" Ziva wondered out loud as they turned in to the living room. Abby smiled at her and flicked on the light switch.

"Surprise!" exclaimed the shower guests. Ziva's mouth dropped in shock and she laughed in happiness. Abby had been so excited about throwing her a shower for Landon, Ziva should have expected this for the twins.

"A baby shower?" she observed, looking around the room at the decorations.

"You deserve it," Abby smiled.

"Thank you!" Ziva exclaimed and returned the hug that Abby was wrapping her in. Ziva looked around at the guests and noticed women from work and the apartment building. Some of the nuns that Abby was friends with were there as well. Then, feeling his presence behind her, Ziva turned to face Tony.

"Did you know about this?" she asked.

"How else would it have happened in our home?" he smiled. Ziva hugged him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he replied, rubbing her back. "But it was all Abby."

"Why don't you come on over to the couch," Abby suggested.

"Alright, well you ladies have fun," Tony said and gave Ziva one last hug before excusing himself from the shower.

"Abby, this is incredible," Ziva said as she sat next to her on the couch. "Thank you so much."

"It's really no problem at all," Abby replied. "I wanted to do this."

Over the next couple of hours, the room-full of women spent time talking, eating, and even playing shower games. Ziva had an excellent time at the baby shower, and she was very grateful for what Abby did for her. She knew that not only did she and Tony have a wonderful friend, but her babies had an absolutely wonderful godmother as well.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Alrighty, there you have chapter 26! I promise the next chapter will be up tomorrow! Please review!


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Here's chapter 27. I started a new NCIS fic as well, if any of you are interested. It's not related to this story; the idea was just driving me crazy and needed started :) Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

A few days later, Ziva had just woken up and was feeling unusually well. She looked around and noticed Tony was gone and wondered where he was. It was his day off, so Ziva was expecting him to be there when she woke up. She shrugged it off and figured he was getting breakfast or something. Relaxing with a long sigh, Ziva stretched out on the bed and thought back to the baby shower. It had been such a surprise, and she had had a lot of fun. Thanks to Abby, Ziva's spirits had improved and she wasn't feeling nearly as depressed. As it turned out, she just needed something to remind her that people care and are there for her. Spending time with all those women was just what Ziva had needed to start feeling better.

Ziva directed her attention over to the place on the floor under the window where she and Tony had placed all of her presents from the shower. She got out of bed and walked over to look through them. The twins had received so many cute clothes as well as blankets, bibs, pacifiers, and other baby needs. There was also an abundance of diapers, which Ziva was grateful for as well. She felt more prepared than ever to have the babies.

"Good morning," Tony greeted from behind her as he entered the bedroom.

"Good morning," Ziva replied, turning to face him.

"You seem to be feeling alright today," he observed. Ziva smiled and nodded. Tony was definitely pleased with how much Ziva's attitude had improved. She was definitely still unhappy with bed rest and didn't feel well sometimes, but her mood had greatly improved.

"I am," she replied.

"Don't forget we have an appointment with Dr. Beckman in a couple hours," Tony reminded her of her biweekly appointments.

"I know," Ziva nodded. "Thank you."

"Alright. Well I'll come back in a little bit," Tony said.

"Where are you going?" Ziva asked curiously.

"Don't worry about it," Tony smiled at her. "Love you." He closed the door and Ziva made her way back to the bed to wonder what Tony was up to. As she laid in bed, she didn't even realize as she drifted off to sleep again.

"Ziva," Tony said gently as he shook her arm a bit. Ziva opened her eyes, noticing she had fallen asleep. "It's time to get ready for your appointment." Ziva nodded and sat up in bed. After a moment, she got up and got dressed and brushed her hair. Tony and Ziva left to see Dr. Beckman.

Ziva was becoming used to the ride to these appointments by now. She still felt a bit anxious before each one, even though at every appointment she was always told that the babies are still healthy. The only part Ziva enjoyed about her appointments, aside from hearing the babies were healthy, was the contact with the outdoors. She still wasn't a fan of laying in bed practically all day, although she knew she didn't have much longer to go.

When Tony and Ziva arrived, they waited for Dr. Beckman just like they always did and were greeted by the cheerful doctor just like always. The appointment went well, and Dr. Beckman said the babies were doing great. Even though that is what Tony and Ziva had been expecting, it still came as a relief to hear it confirmed. They thanked the doctor for her time and proceeded back to their car to drive home.

"It seems like I've been pregnant forever," Ziva sighed on the way home. Tony chuckled lightly.

"I know," he agreed. Ziva smiled and looked out the window. She pictured herself and Tony walking down the street pushing their babies in a stroller and knew that in a few months, that would become a reality. They arrived at their apartment building and Tony parked the car. He opened Ziva's car door for her and the two of them headed toward their apartment.

"I have a surprise for you when we get inside," Tony said as he unlocked the door.

"Another surprise? This soon after the baby shower?" Ziva asked, shocked that she was receiving so much recently. But, this would explain why Tony was so absent that day.

"That baby shower was Abby's doing. This is all me," Tony replied and led Ziva inside. Ziva looked around the living room and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling some excitement bubbling inside of her.

"Come with me," Tony said and took her hand. He led her down the hallway and stopped outside of the nursery door. "Ready?" Ziva nodded. Tony opened the door and turned on the light, and Ziva was in awe of what she saw.

"You redid the nursery?" she observed as she looked around. The walls were painted a light shade of yellow; there was still a decorative border around the room; pictures were hung, including the one that Ziva had bought during her first pregnancy; and there were two cribs.

"Do you like it?" Tony asked.

"Of course!" Ziva exclaimed. "I had not even thought about the nursery. It is a good thing you did."

"This is what I was doing earlier today," Tony admitted. "I've been working on it off and on, and I figured I'd finish it this morning and show it to you after the appointment since you'd already be up."

"Well thank you," Ziva smiled. "Now we really are ready for these babies to come."

"You're welcome," Tony replied. "And we sure are." He gave Ziva a soft kiss and let her walk around and admire the nursery for a bit before leading her back to their bedroom where she had to lay down after being up for so long. Tony was pleased with himself for remodeling the nursery and was glad Ziva liked it. He was so happy that his wife was in a better mood and was relieved that everything was falling into place finally. Now, all they needed was the babies.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Only three more chapters! Please remember to review!


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews and alerts! We're getting closer to the end of this story! Babies are coming soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

The next few months went by with no further complications. Ziva, although she certainly didn't enjoy bed rest, made it through in good spirits and was doing very well. She was ready for the babies and was ecstatic that the time had finally come. The next day was the day that Dr. Beckman had scheduled Ziva to get her cervix unstitched and deliver the babies. Ziva couldn't believe that the day had finally come.

She was laying in bed while Tony anxiously checked through the suitcase that Ziva had packed. Amused, she watched as he repeatedly unpacked and repacked everything, checking that everything was there.

"I do not think we forgot anything," she smiled. Tony stopped and silently laughed at himself when he realized what he had been doing.

"Right. Just making sure," he said. He rezipped the suitcase and joined his wife in bed.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Ziva asked. Tony let out a long sigh.

"I think so," he replied. "Are you?"

"Yes," she nodded thoughtfully. "I am excited to see them. It's just hard to believe that it is happening now. Now that the day is almost here, it feels like everything has gone so fast."

"I told you it would," Tony reminded her kindly.

"I know," Ziva said. "I just cannot believe that I was making such a big deal out of everything, but now that I am going to be a mother, it all seems like nothing." Tony smiled as Ziva was finally making the realization that everyone had been telling her.

"I know what you mean," he said. "And you weren't making it a big deal. It _was_ a big deal. But you're a strong person, and you got through it just like I knew you would."

"I would not have gotten through this without you," Ziva said looking up at him. "You helped me through so much and stayed right by me no matter how depressed or moody I was."

"Of course," Tony smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "That's what I committed to, isn't it? Til death do us part? Through thick and through thin? For better or for worse? We've definitely experienced the 'for worse,' and starting soon we'll be experiencing the 'for better.'"

"I hope so," Ziva sighed.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Do you think we're going to be good parents?" Ziva asked. Tony couldn't tell if this was something that Ziva actually feared or if it was just anxiety, knowing that the babies were so close to being born.

"I absolutely think we'll be good parents," he replied.

"Really?" Ziva asked. "Neither of us really have the best parental role models."

"Well that's true," Tony admitted. "But we know what not to do." He smiled lightly at her and Ziva chuckled and rolled her eyes. "We'll love the kids, and we'll figure it out. Everything will be fine."

"I know," Ziva sighed. "I just do not want to make big mistakes."

"All parents make mistakes," Tony pointed out.

"I know," Ziva said. "But I mean that I do not want our kids to feel like we work too much or something. I want to be able to spend time with them. What if they grow up to be bad kids? What if they are into drugs or gangs or something? What if they start having sex young or have a child in high school?"

"Ziva," Tony cut her off. She was worrying too much and bringing up every fear that every parent has. "That could happen. Or, they could be great kids who do well in school, make something of their lives, get married and have their own families. There's no way to know. We'll just have to raise them the best we can and hope they make the right decisions. But regardless, they'll be _our_ kids."

"Yeah," Ziva sighed. "I am being silly again, aren't I?"

"No," Tony smiled, shaking his head. "Every mother has these same worries."

"And fathers?" Ziva asked, turning to face him.

"I worry," Tony admitted. "But we'll focus on that when we get to it, which won't be for years. Right now, I'm more focused on the fact that we're going to be parents soon."

"You're right," Ziva nodded. "And it is exciting."

"Yes it is," Tony agreed. "But I think it's time to go to sleep. Big day tomorrow." Ziva nodded and pulled the blankets up over them. They shared a good night kiss and fell asleep, knowing it would be their last night sleeping in that bed before becoming parents.

The next morning came very quickly, and Tony and Ziva got ready to head to the hospital. After Tony had gotten dressed, he took the suitcase down to the car while Ziva was brushing her hair. On the way back to their apartment, Tony ran in to Janice. 

"Good morning," he greeted hurriedly.

"You seem like you're in quite a rush this morning," Janice observed.

"We have an appointment today," Tony replied. Janice gave him a questioning look, asking her burning question with her eyes. "Yes, she's going to have the babies."

"Oh, congratulations!" Janice squealed.

"Thanks," Tony replied.

"You two are going to make fantastic parents. I will be praying that everything goes well for you. Please let me know as soon as they are here!" Janice requested very quickly and excitedly.

"I will be sure to do that," Tony promised. "And thank you again. For everything."

"Oh it was my pleasure to help you two out," Janice beamed. "But I should let you get back to your wife now. Good luck!" Tony thanked her and hurried back to Ziva who was ready by this time.

"Ready to go, honey?" he asked as from the doorway. Ziva slowly walked toward the front door, keeping her eyes on the living room.

"Just think," she said. "The next time we enter this room, we will be carrying the babies." The realization hit Tony; Ziva was right. They stood in silence together for a moment, letting it sink in.

"We should go, Zi," Tony said.

"Right," Ziva agreed. She walked past him outside of the apartment. Tony took one last look inside before closing the door and heading to the hospital.

During the drive over, Tony was becoming increasingly anxious. To his right, Ziva seemed as calm as ever, and Tony couldn't understand why. He knew that in movies, when a woman went into labor, the man usually was the one to freak out while the woman was calm about everything. He never dreamed that it was that way in real life; and on top of that, nothing dramatic like that had happened with him and Ziva. The appointment and delivery was all planned; he didn't think he should be feeling so anxious.

Finally, they arrived at the hospital and went inside to meet Dr. Beckman.

"Hello," she greeted them cheerfully. "Are you feeling okay today?"

"Yes I am," Ziva replied.

"And you're ready?" the doctor asked both of them. Tony and Ziva nodded and Dr. Beckman smiled at the two of them.

"All right then," she said. "Let's get you ready." As she led Ziva into a room to change her clothes, Ziva turned to face Tony and their eyes met. She felt closer than ever to him; they were finally going to complete their family. This was it. The time had finally come.

0-0-0

**A/N:** There you have it; we're almost there! I hope you enjoyed this. Please review!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews and alerts :) Here is the chapter you've been waiting for!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Abby was sitting in the waiting room very anxiously. Tony had called her when he and Ziva had arrived at the hospital and Abby had in turn called each McGee, Gibbs, and Ducky. The four of them were sitting, waiting, while Tony and Ziva were in delivery. Abby was overfilled with anxiety and excitement. She had been anticipating this day for months, and she couldn't be more ecstatic that it was finally here.

"Take it easy," McGee said to her in reference to the magazine that she was violently flipping through. "You're going to rip the pages out." Abby closed the magazine and slammed it back onto the side table between her chair and McGee's.

"I don't care about the stupid magazine!" she exclaimed. "All I care about it my godchildren being born and me seeing them! What's taking so long, anyway?"

"Uh, she's having two babies," McGee replied cautiously. Abby glared at him, letting him know it wasn't a question she had been expecting answered.

"Abby, calm down," Gibbs instructed from across the room. "When they're born, we'll know."

"How are you all so calm?" Abby asked of the three men keeping her company. "Ziva is having the _babies_ and you're all sitting here like it's just another day."

"Babies are born every day," Gibbs shrugged. "And if you get all worked up about something, it makes time pass a lot slower." He took a sip of the coffee he was holding and leaned back in his chair. Abby sighed.

"Maybe you're right, Gibbs," she decided. "I just need to take it easy and everything will be okay." As she was sitting back in her chair, a nurse turned the corner to pass by. Abby jumped up in front of her to stop her.

"Are they here? What can you tell me about Ziva DiNozzo's condition?" she demanded.

"Ziva DiWho? And who is 'they'?" the young nurse wondered. She had a very confused and startled look on her face.

"You must excuse her, miss," Ducky said as he approached the two women. "We are waiting for a friend to deliver, and Abby here is rather anxious."

"I see," the nurse sighed. "Well I'm sure your friend will make it through just fine." She nodded and proceeded past quickly.

"McGee, why don't you take Abby down to get a snack or something before she hurts someone," Gibbs suggested. McGee nodded and he and Abby headed toward the elevator. Once they had left, Ducky walked over to take a seat next to Gibbs who was shaking his head in amusement.

"She means well," Ducky smiled as he took a seat.

"I know she does," Gibbs agreed, sipping his coffee. "This is just about how I was expecting her to act."

"Yes, rather excited, that one," Ducky said.

"It's a wonder she didn't get a speeding ticket, as fast as I'm sure she drove over here," Gibbs observed. Ducky nodded his silent agreement.

"Do you think it wise to strand poor Timothy with her while she is this worked up?" Ducky asked, concern in his voice for McGee. Gibbs chuckled.

"He'll be okay, Duck," he said reassuringly. "It's those babies you should be worried about when Abby sets her sights on them."

"Oh, Lord, and Tony and Ziva of course," Ducky added. Abby could hardly hold herself back when she was excited. As Gibbs was about to respond, the elevator door dinged and opened to reveal McGee and Abby with coffee and snacks.

"They have a wonderful selection down there, like I was just telling McGee," Abby said as she sat back down with Gibbs and Ducky. Gibbs smiled as he looked over at McGee and silently noticed that Abby had been rattling his ear off the entire time, probably about pointless matters such as the selection in the vending machine. Abby continued to babble on without the full attention of any of the three men.

As the time passed, the tension rose even more in the waiting room. Abby was finally silent, but she was taking her anxiety out on another magazine, even harder this time. Gibbs was staring blankly at the television, trying to ignore Abby, while McGee and Ducky were simply sipping their drinks and staring at the floor, both lost in their thoughts. Every now and then, a nurse would pass by, and Abby would feel the urge to inquire about Ziva's condition, but she resisted when she remembered what happened last time. Finally, they heard a door open down the hall and footsteps coming toward them. Tony turned the corner and smiled at his coworkers.

"They're here?" Abby asked excitedly. She felt her heart stop as she anticipated Tony's answer.

"They're here," he nodded. Abby squealed and jumped up from her chair to rush over and embrace Tony in a huge hug.

"Congratulations!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks, Abbs," Tony smiled. Gibbs, McGee, and Ducky each congratulated him as well.

"Can we see them?" Abby asked, literally bouncing on her toes with excitement.

"Of course you can," Tony replied. He turned back toward the room and the rest of the team followed to meet Tony and Ziva's babies for the first time.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, they're here :) And in the next chapter (the final chapter) you will finally meet them as well. I will also reveal the surprise that I promised you a few chapters back :) Well, I hope you enjoyed. Please review!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Here's the final chapter! I know I didn't give a lot of time for reviews and whatnot, but I wanted to finish this :) Also, in response to the reviewer who questioned the previous chapter, I have reasoning for writing it that way. I have honestly never been pregnant or been in a delivery room while someone was giving birth, but I have been in the waiting room, so I figured the chapter would be better written if I wrote it the way I did because I wanted to be able to capture the emotions properly, and I didn't feel completely confident that I could capture the emotions of parents just giving birth when I have never been there myself. I apologize if you didn't like it. But, I hope that you all like this final chapter :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters.

0-0-0

Tony opened the door to Ziva's room to reveal her holding both babies. She smiled up at her friends as they entered, tears still rimming her eyes from the delivery. Tony crossed over to his wife and carefully took one of the babies out of Ziva's arms. Abby, Gibbs, McGee, and Ducky had been silent since entering and were taking in the sight of their two friends finally holding their children. Abby was in awe of her godchildren already before ever even holding them.

"Well, we'd like to you meet Aiden and Aaliyah," Tony said, finally breaking the silence. He gestured to each child as he said their name. Abby walked over and stood beside Ziva's bed to peer down at Aaliyah who was sleeping in her mother's arms.

"She's beautiful, Ziva," Abby said quietly, tears filling in her own eyes.

"Thank you," Ziva whispered, admiring her daughter as well. Aaliyah's eyes fluttered slightly in her slumber and Ziva smiled at the beauty she and Tony had created.

"Congratulations," Gibbs said as he put his arm around Ziva's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. Abby walked over to Tony and Aiden while Gibbs was talking to Ziva.

"Do you care if I hold him?" she asked. Tony carefully transferred his son over to Abby's arms, and Abby rocked him back and forth in her arms.

"They are gorgeous," Abby said.

"Thanks, Abbs," Tony smiled. He watched as Abby rocked Aiden in her arms and knew they picked a perfect godmother. McGee walked over next to Abby to admire Aiden, and Tony joined his wife and daughter at the hospital bed.

"Nice looking children," Gibbs said to Tony as he approached.

"Thanks, boss," Tony replied. Abby then came up next to Gibbs, still holding Aiden, and handed him back to Ziva who once again had both of her babies in her arms. She had never looked happier.

"So, how was it?" Abby asked. Ziva smiled, appreciating Abby's cheerfulness.

"It was hard, but it was worth it," Ziva replied, smiling down at her sleeping children. "I certainly could not have done it without Tony."

"Well I'm just glad that they're here and healthy," Abby said. Ziva nodded her agreement.

"Me too," she agreed. The team stayed and visited a while longer before leaving to give Ziva and Tony some time alone with their children.

"You did great," Tony said as he gave Ziva a kiss on the forehead. He sat next to her on the hospital bed and took Aaliyah in his arms. Ziva watched him run his fingers over their daughter's soft brown hair and smiled at the sight.

"She is definitely going to be a daddy's girl," Ziva said. Tony chuckled a bit.

"She sure looks like you," he said. Ziva admired her daughter's face and saw that they did, in fact, share a nose, a chin, and ears.

"Maybe she'll have your eyes," Ziva smiled. Tony looked over at Aiden to admire his features.

"Now, _he_ looks like me," he observed. Ziva nodded, directing her attention down to her son.

"They're both beautiful," she said. Tony nodded as they heard a knock on the door before it cracked open.

"Hello?" Janice called and pushed it open the rest of the way.

"Come on in," Tony said. Janice walked in awe over to the bed. She was carrying a plastic bag which she set on the floor.

"Oh, my," she sighed, a large smile growing on her face. "Ziva, Tony, they're adorable."

"Thank you," Ziva smiled. "Would you like to hold one of them?" Janice nodded and pulled a nearby chair up to the side of the bed. Ziva carefully placed Aaliyah in Janice's arms. It was silent as Janice studied the baby in her arms. Aaliyah stirred a bit but remained asleep.

"She's just lovely," Janice finally said before handing Aaliyah back to Ziva. "And she looks just like you, dear." Ziva smiled at what she and Tony had just been talking about.

"Thank you, Janice," she said.

"Now, what are their middle names?" Janice asked.

"She is Aaliyah Grace, and he is Aiden Landon," Ziva replied. Tears filled in Janice's eyes as she made the connection of Aiden's middle name. "Losing Landon was the hardest thing we had ever gone through, and having Aiden and Aaliyah was the best thing. So, we decided that by naming Aiden after his brother, Landon really would always be with us."

"That is beautiful," Janice sighed, wiping away a couple of tears that had fallen. Ziva smiled and swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat while talking about her first pregnancy.

"I know the pain will always be there, but knowing that he will live on through all of us makes it a little easier," she said. Janice nodded her understanding and the room was silent again while everyone processed their emotions.

"So, uh, what's in the bag?" Tony asked, finally breaking the silence. Janice jumped, startled, and came back to reality.

"Oh! Goodness, I almost forgot," she exclaimed and bent over to pick up the plastic bag she had brought inside. "Tony, do you remember months ago when I asked what you were planning on naming the babies?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Well," Janice continued, pulling out two folded up blankets. She unfolded one to reveal what it looked like. It was pink and had a teddy bear and the name Aaliyah on it. Janice then unfolded the other one which was blue and had a duck and the name Aiden on it. "I know it isn't much, and I didn't give them to you at the shower because I wanted to wait until the babies were actually here, but I made these for them."

"Oh, Janice, they're wonderful," Ziva smiled, tears coming back to her eyes. "Thank you so much."

"Well, it was the least I could do," Janice said. "I love crocheting, and you can never have too many baby blankets." She folded them back up and put them back into the plastic bag which she left sitting at Ziva's bedside.

"Well thank you again anyway," Ziva smiled.

"You are very welcome, dear," Janice replied. "But, I'm sure you're exhausted, so I will leave you two alone with your babies."

"Thanks for stopping by," Ziva said as Janice stood from the chair. They bid their goodbyes, and Tony and Ziva were alone again with Aiden and Aaliyah.

"So, was it worth it after all?" Tony asked. Ziva smiled down at her babies.

"Absolutely," she replied. "I have been through some of the hardest times of my life, but I would do it all again."

"I thought you would say that," Tony smiled at her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You really are incredible, you know that?"

"Why do you say that?" Ziva asked.

"When I married you, you were already the strongest woman I'd ever known. You were beautiful, successful, adventurous, and everything that I always wanted. You completed me, Ziva, and I thought back then that there was no way I could ever love you more than what I already did," Tony began. "But this, after everything you've been through, you definitely proved me wrong." Ziva felt tears well up in her eyes at her husband's words, and a smile crossed her lips as she gave Tony a soft kiss.

"I could not have done any of it without you, and I mean that," she whispered.

"I know you do," Tony replied and run his fingers through her hair. "And I love you."

"I love you too," Ziva smiled and laid her head on Tony's shoulder. She closed her eyes from exhaustion, and Tony gazed down at Aiden and Aaliyah, still not believing the miracles that had taken place and were laying in his and Ziva's arms. Just then, Aaliyah's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Tony from Ziva's arms.

"Zi," he nudged his wife. "Ziva." Ziva reopened her eyes and looked down to notice Aaliyah's open eyes.

"Well, hello there, beautiful," she cooed at her daughter. "And would you look at that."

"What, babe?" Tony asked.

"She does have your eyes after all," Ziva smiled. Tony looked into his daughter's eyes as they sparkled up at him and kissed the top of his wife's head.

"I can't believe she's mine," Tony sighed. Ziva smiled; she had been thinking the same thing.

"They are both ours," she said. Tony nodded.

"And they're both beautiful, just like their mother," he added.

"They're both perfect," Ziva whispered.

"Yes they are," Tony agreed, looking back and forth between his two new children. He knew that now that they were parents, his and Ziva's lives would never be the same again, but he was prepared for that. They had their babies. Everything they went through finally paid off. With two beautiful children, their family was finally complete.

0-0-0

**A/N (Please read this one!):** Well, first of all, I'd like to thank you all for reading this story :) I really appreciate it, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Now, the surprise I've been promising you: I decided quite a while ago to turn this idea into a 4-story series :) So, there will be three more stories dealing with Tony and Ziva and their children. So, if you liked this story, I hope that you read the rest of them! I will post the second story of this series soon, so be watching for it! Again, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I really hope you enjoyed the conclusion to the first story of this series! Please review!


End file.
